ISLAMABAD: Former director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lt Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa got the first command post as a three-star general on Thursday in a triangular reshuffle in the army’s top brass.

Lt Gen Bajwa was appointed Quetta Corps Commander. Before his new assignment, he was serving as Inspector General Arms at the General Headquarters (GHQ).

He replaces Lt Gen Aamer Riaz who has been posted as Lahore Corps Commander. Lt Gen Sadiq Ali, who was serving as Lahore Corps Commander, has been appointed Inspector General Arms at the GHQ.

Interestingly, all the three officers had been promoted to the rank of three-star general together the same day — Sept 22, 2015.

Prior to his appointment as ISPR director general in 2012 by then army chief Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, Lt Gen Bajwa was posted in Dera Ismail Khan as general officer commanding.

Under his leadership, the army had launched operations in South Waziristan to eliminate militants and restore peace. Before that he had served as deputy military secretary under former army chief Gen Pervez Musharraf.

He served as ISPR director general during the days of Gen Raheel Sharif as army chief and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general in 2015.

Lt Gen Aamer Riaz served as director general military operations prior to his elevation to three-star general. He previously headed the 111 Brigade and was one of witnesses against fellow officer retired Brigadier Ali Khan who was convicted of having links with banned organisation Hizbut Tahrir.

Lt Gen Sadiq Ali has served as general officer commanding of Multan Armoured Division as well as of Bahawalpur Infantry Division known as Falcon Division.

He was commissioned in an armoured regiment on completion of his basic military training at the Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul, on March 16, 1984. He is a graduate of Turkish War Academy and National Defence University. He was also chief of staff of a strike corps.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2017