Next rung of the ladder: Five major generals promoted to lieutenant general

Gen Raheel reshuffles in the army top brass

ISLAMABAD: Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif on Thursday approved reshuffle on key positions in the military hierarchy following the promotion of five major generals to the rank of Lieutenant General.

Lt-Gen Zubair Mahmood Hayat was appointed as Chief of General Staff (CGS), which is considered as the most important position after the army chief, a statement issued by the army’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said.

Hayat will replace Lt-Gen Ashfaq Nadeem, who was appointed as corps commander Multan. Similarly, Lt-Gen Mazhar Jamil was appointed as Director General Strategic Plans Division (SPD), which controls the country’s nuclear arsenal. In another reshuffle Lt-Gen Ramdhay was appointed as corps commander Bahawalpur. He will replace Lt-Gen Javed Iqbal, who is set to retire in a few weeks time. Lt-Gen Anwar Ali Hyder was appointed president National Defence University (NDU).

Also on Thursday, five major generals – Omar Mahmood Hayat, Zafar Iqbal Malik, Javed Mehmood Bukhari, Anwar Ali Hyder and Shahid Baig Mirza  –have been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 10^th, 2015.