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Asif Ghafoor

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Asif Ghafoor
Asif Ghafoor as Major General
President
National Defence University, Islamabad
In office
25 November 2023 – 22 December 2024
Preceded byLt General Rahat Naseem
Succeeded byLt General Aamer Najam
Corps Commander XII Corps
In office
4 August 2022 – 24 November 2023
Preceded bySarfraz Ali
Succeeded byRahat Naseem
Inspector General Communication & Information Technology
In office
28 November 2020 – 2 August 2022
General Officer Commanding 40th Infantry Division, Okara
In office
31 January 2020 – 28 November 2020
20th Director-General of the ISPR
In office
15 December 2016 – 31 January 2020
PresidentMamnoon Hussain
Arif Alvi
Prime MinisterNawaz Sharif
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi
Imran Khan
Preceded byAsim Saleem Bajwa
Succeeded byBabar Iftikhar
General Officer Commanding 21st Artillery Division, Swat
In office
February 2016 – 15 December 2016
Personal details
Alma materPakistan Military Academy, Command & Staff College Quetta, Command & Staff College Bandung (Indonesia), National Defence University, Islamabad
AwardsHilal-e-Imtiaz (Military)
Military service
Allegiance Pakistan
Branch/service Pakistan Army
Years of service1988–present
Rank Lieutenant General
Commands21 Artillery Division
Director General ISPR
40 Infantry Division
IG Communication and Information Technology
Commander XII Corps
President National Defence University
Battles/wars
Service numberPA-27699

Lieutenant General Asif Ghafoor HI(M) (Urdu: آصِف غفور ) is a three-star ranking general in the Pakistani Army,[1] who most recently serving as the president of the National Defence University uptill 2024. Previously, Ghafoor served as the Corps Commander Quetta and the 20th director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).[2]

Education

[edit]

Asif Ghafoor is a graduate of the Command & Staff College in Quetta, Command & Staff College Bandung in Indonesia and the National Defence University in Islamabad. He holds a master's degree in Strategic Studies.

Military life

[edit]

He was commissioned on 9 September 1988 in the 87 SP Medium Regiment Artillery from PMA Kakul. He had participated in the Kargil War as a Major, operations against terrorists in tribal areas of FATA and Swat during 2008–10 as a Lieutenant Colonel in Operation Sherdil and has commanded a Division at Swat, Malakand in 2016 as a Major General. Asif has also served as Director Military Operations at Army Headquarters GHQ as a Brigadier commanded Divisional Artillery deployed along the Line of Control and infantry brigade along eastern border. He has been on faculty of Command and Staff College Quetta.

The General has served on various staff, instructional and command assignments including Brigade Major Infantry Brigade, Assistant Military Secretary MS Branch, GSO-I Military Operations Directorate, GHQ, Director Military Operations in Military Operations Directorate, GHQ. He has been on the faculty of Command and Staff College, Quetta. He has commanded his parent unit in Operation al-Mizan, Artillery Brigade on Line of Control, Infantry Brigade on Eastern Border and a Division at Swat, Malakand.[3][4][5] The General is recipient of COAS Commendation Card[6] for operations in Bajaur during 2008 and Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military).

In December 2016, Ghafoor was appointed as the Director-General of the ISPR.[7] While serving as DG ISPR, he faced criticism for maintaining a personal Twitter account and engaging in disputes with journalists and individuals who criticized Pakistan's military.[8]

In January 2020, Gen. Ghafoor was appointed as the General Officer Commanding 40 Division in Okara.[9][10][8] On 25 November 2020, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General[11] and appointed as Inspector General Communications and Information Technology till August 2022. In August 2022, Asif Ghafoor was appointed Quetta Corps Commander after the death of Lt General Sarfraz Ali in an air crash and continued to held command till November 2023.[12]

He was appointed as the President National Defence University Islamabad in November 2023 and continued to serve in the capacity till his retirement in the November 2024.[13]

Commands held

[edit]
Commanding Details
S No Command Duration Preceded By Succeeded By
1 21 Artillery Division, Swat (Now at Pannu Aqil) January 2016 - December 2016 Maj Gen Maj Gen (Now Lt Gen) Ali Aamir Awan
2 Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations December 2016 - January 2020 Lt Gen Asim Bajwa Maj Gen (Lt Gen) Babar Iftikhar
3 40 Infantry Division, Okara January 2020 - December 2020 Maj Gen Azhar Waqas Maj Gen Asad Ur Rehman
4 Inspector General Communication and Information Technology December 2020 - August 2022 Lt Gen Ali Aamir Awan Lt Gen Muhammad Munir Afsar
5 Commander XII Corps, Quetta August 2022 – November 2023 Lt Gen Sarfaraz Ali Lt Gen Rahat Naseem Ahmed Khan
6 President National Defence University November 2023 – December 2024 Lt Gen Rahat Naseem Ahmed Khan Lt Gen Muhammad Aamer Najam

Awards and decorations

[edit]
Hilal-e-Imtiaz

(Military)

(Crescent of Excellence)

Tamgha-e-Diffa

(General Service Medal)

Siachen Glacier Clasp

Tamgha-e-Baqa

(Nuclear Test Medal)

1998

Tamgha-e-Istaqlal Pakistan

(Escalation with India Medal)

2002

Tamgha-e-Azm

(Medal of Conviction)

(2018)

10 Years Service Medal 20 Years Service Medal 30 Years Service Medal 35 Years Service Medal
Jamhuriat Tamgha

(Democracy Medal)

1988

Qarardad-e-Pakistan Tamgha

(Resolution Day

Golden Jubilee Medal)

1990

Tamgha-e-Salgirah Pakistan

(Independence Day

Golden Jubilee Medal)

1997

Command and Staff College Quetta

Centenary Instructor's Medal

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Hussain, Abid (2020-01-18). "Pakistan two-star general: Farewell to a social media celebrity". BBC News. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
  2. ^ "6 Pak Army major generals promoted to lieutenant general rank". DAWN.COM. 2020-11-25. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
  3. ^ "Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor appointed DG ISPR". DAWN.COM. 15 December 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  4. ^ "Maj-Gen Asif Ghafoor named DG ISPR - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 15 December 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  5. ^ "Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor is new DG ISPR". The News. 15 December 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  6. ^ "Major General Asif Ghafoor, nswc, psc, fsc(In), (L)qsl". ISPR.GOV.PK. 15 December 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  7. ^ "Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor appointed DG ISPR". Dawn. December 15, 2016.
  8. ^ a b "Pakistan two-star general: Farewell to a social media celebrity". 18 January 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  9. ^ "Major reshuffle: Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor replaced as DG ISPR". The News International. January 16, 2020.
  10. ^ "Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar replaces Asif Ghafoor as DG ISPR". Dawn. January 16, 2020.
  11. ^ Article title
  12. ^ "Shuffle in top brass as six major generals promoted". Dawn. November 26, 2020.
  13. ^ Desk (Lahore), Web (23 November 2023). "'Lt Gen Rahat Naseem replaces Asif Ghafoor as Corps Commander Quetta in major reshuffle in Pakistan Army'". Pakistan Observer. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
Military offices
Preceded by Director General of the ISPR
2016 - 2020
Succeeded by
Major General Babar Iftikhar