Pakistan Wednesday appointed 57-year-old Lt Gen Raheel Sharif as new army chief while Tassadduq Hussain Jillani was named as new Chief Justice of the country.
Islamabad, Nov 26/Nationalturk- In a day of events, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Wednesday named 57-year-old Lt Gen Raheel Sharif as new army chief of the country as present army chief General Kayan’s term ends on Friday. Pakistan also appointed Tassadduq Hussain Jillani as new Chief Justice of the country.
A senior Pakistani official said on the recommendation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Lt Gen. Raheel Sharif has been appointed as Pakistan’s new army chief and Lt Gen Rashad Mahmood as Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC).
He said Pakistan President, who is supreme commander of the armed forces approved the promotion and posting of Lt General Raheel Sharif and Lt Gen Rashad Mahmood with effect from November 28.
Pakistan PM had meetings with Generals
Earlier, in the day Nawaz Sharif had held separate meetings with Gen Mahmood, Chief of General Staff, and Gen Sharif, Inspector General Training and Evaluation, before approving their promotion to the coveted posts.
Both the Generals superseded Lt Gen Haroon Aslam, currently Chief of Logistics Staff and the senior-most General in Pakistan army after Kayani. Lt Gen Haroon is scheduled to retire in April next year.
Kayani will retire from service on Friday after remaining at the helm of the Army for six years.
The post of army chief is arguably the most powerful in Pakistan and anxiety prevailed on who will replace the taciturn, chain-smoking General Kayani, who will step down on Friday after six years at the helm.
Sharif climbed up the military ladder mentored by Musharraf who handed him command of the 11th Infantry Division in Lahore.
Despite the common surname, Raheel Sharif is not related to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, but is known to be close to tribal affairs minister Lieutenant-General Abdul Qadir Baloch, a key confidante of the Sharif family.
Lt Gen Raheel Sharif was born in Pakistan’s Quetta city on 16 June, 1956. He is the younger brother of Major Shabir Sharif and Captain Mumtaz Sharif.
He was commissioned in October 1976 in 6th Battalion, The Frontier Force Regiment. His elder brother Shabir was killed in the 1971 war with India and is the recipient of the country’s highest gallantry award Nishan-e-Haider.
Raheel did Company Commander’s Course from Germany and subsequently served in the prestigious School of Infantry and Tactics as an instructor. He attended the Command and Staff College Canada graduating with distinction.
As a Lt General, he served as Corps Commander 30 Corps for two years before taking over as Inspector General Training and Evaluation in which capacity he oversaw the training of Pakistan Army.
Meanwhile, in another major development, Tassaduq Hussain Jillani was named as country’s new Chief Justice, replacing Iftikhar Chaudhry.
President Mamnoon Hussain approved Jillani’s elevation to the post. His appointment will come into effect from December 12, a day after Chaudhry, the longest serving Chief Justice, retires.
The newly nominated Chief Justice is said to be close relative of former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani and a confidante of the outgoing chief justice.
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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk Pakistan News
