Four army officers including DG ISPR Asim Bajwa made three-star generals

E-Paper | July 29, 2026

ISLAMABAD: A high-level promotion board on Tuesday approved promotion to the rank of Lieutenant-General of four Major-Generals including Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major-General Asim Bajwa.

The board headed by Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif also promoted Major-General Amir Riaz, Major-General Sadiq Ali and Major-General Umar Farooq Durrani.

Lieutenant-General Asim Bajwa is expected to retain his post as DG ISPR, while Lieutenant-General Amir Riaz has been posted as Commander Southern Command Quetta or Corps Commander Quetta.

Major General Sadiq Ali is made Corps Commander Lahore.

Lieutenant-General Ikramul Haq, Lieutenant-General Hilal Hussain and Lieutenant-General Malik Zafar Iqbal were posted to the ranks of Corps Commander Gujranwala, Commander Army Strategic Force Command and Corps Commander Rawalpindi respectively by the board.

The incumbent Corps Commander Rawalpindi Lieutenant-General Qamar Javed Bajwa has been sent to GHQ and made Inspector General (IG) training .

General Headquarters and the Ministry of Defence have issued notifications for these appointments.

Prior to his appointment as DG ISPR in 2012 by then COAS Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, Bajwa was posted in Dera Ismail Khan as a general officer commanding.

Under Bajwa’s leadership, the army conducted military operations in the South Waziristan tribal region to eliminate militancy and restore peace.

Prior to that, Bajwa had served as the deputy military secretary under Pervez Musharraf.

Major General Amir Riaz was appointed the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) back in 2013.

Riaz, formerly a head of the 111 Brigade, was also among the witnesses against fellow officer Brigadier (retd) Ali Khan who was convicted for having links with banned organisation Hizbul Tahrir (HuT)

According to a report published in the BBC, Riaz was promoted to the rank of Major General following his statement against Brigadier Ali. According to the report, Ali had tried to recruit Riaz in HuT, but had failed.

While Major General Durrani is serving as Vice Chief of General Staff and Major General Sadiq is General Officer commanding Bahawalpur

The newly-promoted three-star generals will be posted to new positions within the next two months by the Pakistan army.

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Asif

Sep 22, 2015 11:16am

congrats all generals and Asim Bajwa. He kept media and people connected with what military is doing. I would say he was performed as better ISPR than previous one Gen. Athar Abbas.

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Dr.Arshad

Sep 22, 2015 11:18am

Congrats!Gentlemen! It's hoped you will play your role in making PA an impeccable,formidable and professional force.Inshallah

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Abdulla Hussain

Sep 22, 2015 11:19am

Congratulations, they all deserved this promotions.

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Pakistani Man Male

Sep 22, 2015 11:19am

Thank you, Raheel Sharif.

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Salman Khan

Sep 22, 2015 11:25am

Great.

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pervaiz UK

Sep 22, 2015 11:37am

congratulations to all of you. Thanks for securing our country from the menace of terrorism. Pakistan army's effort is highly appreciated. Long live our General Raheel.

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Zeeshan

Sep 22, 2015 12:17pm

Eliminate TTP complete and reward all soldiers and officers fighting against them.

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Munir Varraich

Sep 22, 2015 12:19pm

Cogratulations! Pakistan Armed forces are in the hands of professionals. There should not be any doubt in anyone's mind.

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Jaan Bhittani

Sep 22, 2015 12:35pm

who will be spokesperson for ISPR?

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Shakeel Ahmed

Sep 22, 2015 12:48pm

All well and good maybe, but I wish instead we could have proudly honoured some our present crop of distinguished scientists, engineers, technologists and academics in the same vein. How military conscious state have we become. I can imagine there must be a good 200 generals (retired included) on the payroll taking up a substantial portion of financial resources on pensions, salaries and other perks.

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Parvez

Sep 22, 2015 12:49pm

Good work deserves rewards........

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Conservative

Sep 22, 2015 12:53pm

In good old days I had learned that promotion to 3 star general rank was recommended by the army selection board and finally approved by the supreme commander in this case PM. Havery those rules been changed now.

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A Laddo

Sep 22, 2015 01:13pm

good luck gentlemen. Serve Pakistan as you have been doing before. Do not get tempted to do something different after this. Over and out.

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Ebrahim

Sep 22, 2015 01:15pm

Mabrook Generals, keep the Pakistan flag fly high, as you have been doing for the Country.

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Abdul Rahman Khan

Sep 22, 2015 01:16pm

Congras. to promotes. We are proud of our jawans and officers of the saviours of Pakistan and salute them for their services and sacrifices for the motherland.

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IJLAL

Sep 22, 2015 01:49pm

Good Work, good promotions, good reward. Conratulations to all the promotees.

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sher ali

Sep 22, 2015 04:13pm

@Shakeel Ahmed : spend a week in pma and couple of days on the border, and you will never say this again. But I also agree that the nation should be proud of many other boys and girls who show tremendous achievementS in IT and computer science.

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Jawad

Sep 22, 2015 04:23pm

Finish all the terrorists from its root. Thank you for your service.

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Kadir Khan, Tx

Sep 22, 2015 04:51pm

Proud of Pak Army. Our real heroes.

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Abdul Muqtadir

Sep 22, 2015 04:54pm

@Shakeel Ahmed Thanks for saying that you very rightly and bravely said. While other nations are investing in Engineering, Medicine, Infrastructure, education Pakistan has a big load of Defense expenses with a large army.

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kianipura.Washington

Sep 22, 2015 05:30pm

the ultimate bravest faces on planet. congratulations!

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M. Emad

Sep 22, 2015 05:32pm

Lt. General as ISPR head.

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Shahid Kinnare

Sep 22, 2015 05:41pm

This promotion should have been carried out by defense ministry not by the board. It's time to change the practice.

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Damn

Sep 22, 2015 06:40pm

Those who were close to establishment were got promoted. This need some media scrutiny.

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Mohammad Akhtar

Sep 22, 2015 07:07pm

The Job COAS has done he should be promoted to FIELD MARSHALL rank. He deserves it.

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Syed Ahmed, Canada

Sep 22, 2015 07:34pm

@Shakeel Ahmed: Your concern pertains mostly to the political government’s failure. They honour Bradri System. Time is not far away when Pakistan will see the family politics vanishing and all appointments being done on merits and our present crop of distinguished scientists, engineers, technologists and academics will also be honoured. You are concerned about 200 generals serving and retired taking up a substantial portion of financial resources. What about Billions of Rupees being spent monthly on the perks and privileges of just two VVIP’s, the PM and the President, and their foreign entourages. What about pensions, salaries and other perks of retired PM, President, and Speakers of the two houses. What about salaries and other perks of serving and pensions and other perks of retired Judges?

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Dr. SOB

Sep 22, 2015 07:55pm

@Syed Ahmed, Canada , Why you enjoing here in Canada, go back spend few years in Pakistan. You will know all about. Simply travel in the whole country.

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Azam Kakar

Sep 22, 2015 09:31pm

Mr.Asim Bajwa very well deserve this promotion. He is cool

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Freda Shah

Sep 22, 2015 09:33pm

Well-deserved promotions !

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naveed

Sep 22, 2015 09:42pm

@Shakeel Ahmed Have you ever lost a loved one defending the Country? All are important in their own right but the ones who martyr themselves for the nation are supreme.

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ashutosh

Sep 22, 2015 09:55pm

Is there anyone from minority in Pakistan Army?

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Dr. SOB

Sep 22, 2015 10:00pm

@Shakeel Ahmed Agree, the truth is that, you hit the nail on the right spot.

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Irfan

Sep 22, 2015 10:03pm

@Shakeel Ahmed Very well said sir. scientists, engineers, technologists and academics are the real defenders of the nation, otherwise another '71 would have plagued the nation.

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From USA, S.A.Hyder, Ph.D.

Sep 22, 2015 10:16pm

@Shakeel Ahmed Does any one in power in Pakistan care about the academics?

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Zubair A.

Sep 22, 2015 11:57pm

Just for curiosity sake - how many 3 star generals did we have in 1977 and how many do we have now?

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Mar Paulus VII

Sep 23, 2015 01:40pm

Yes, Indeed. Congratulations!

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Syed Chishti

Sep 23, 2015 05:50pm

Congratulations.

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AshrafSDK

Sep 24, 2015 08:29am

Congratulations ! to all of them. Gen. Asim you have really reconnected public with Armed forces Job well done and now please help Gen. Raheel and team clean up Pakistan from all the mess. Everyone should feel safe as we did when growing up in Pakistan.

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