ISLAMABAD, Sept 30: Lt-Gen Waheed Arshad has been appointed as the new chief of general staff (CGS), according to sources.

The important appointment came as eight major generals were promoted as three-star generals on Thursday.

The position of chief of general staff had fallen vacant after the elevation of Lt-Gen Khalid Shamim Wyne as a four-star general and his naming as successor to the outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Tariq Majid.

Lt-Gen Arshad is currently serving as inspector-general training and evaluation at the General Headquarters.

The other officers promoted include Major Generals Raheel Sharif, Sajjad Ghani, Tariq Khan, Muzammil Hussain, Zaheerul Islam, Agha Umer Farooq, Salim Nawaz and Khalid Rabbani.

The sources said Lt-Gen Tariq Khan, who was serving as inspector-general of FC Khyber Pakhtunkhwa before his promotion will take over as Corps Commander for Mangla.

The sitting corps commander for Mangla Lt-General Mustafa Khan will be retiring on October 1 (today).

Gujranwala Corps Commander Lt-Gen Jamil Haider will take over as commander of the Army's Strategic Force on retirement of Syed Absar Hussain on Oct 22.

Sajjad Ghani has been named as Quarter Master General.

He will replace Lt-Gen Zahid Hussain Khan who will retire on Oct 25.

Lt-Gen Raheel Sharif has been appointed corps commander for Gujranwala. Lt-Gen Muzammil Hussain has been appointed IG Training and Evaluation.

Zaheerul Islam will be the next corps commander for Karachi while Lt-Gen Agha Umer Farooq has been appointed as President of the National Defence University (NDU).

The post was vacant after retirement of Lt-Gen Mohammad Yousuf on September 16.