Welcome Babar Iftikhar, Thank You Asif Ghafoor !

Major General Babar Iftikhar on January 15 has been appointed as the new Director-General (DG) of the Pakistan Army, replacing Major General Asif Ghafoor.

Major General Babar Iftikhar will take over his new post on February 1.

According to Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), Maj. Gen. Babar Iftikhar commanded a division in Multan prior to this deployment.

While, Former Major General Asif Ghafoor has now been given command of the division in Okara.

Major General Babar Iftikhar had replaced Asif Ghafoor as the Pak military spokesman.

Asif Ghafoor’s Tenure Beginning

Asif Ghafoor was commissioned into the Pakistan Army in 1988.

Former Major General Asif Ghafoor holds a master’s degree in strategic studies and was appointed as the director general of ISPR in December 2016.

Upon finishing his tenure as head of the military’s information wing, he has now been posted as GOC 40th Infantry Division in Okara.

The announcement was made as Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa called on Prime Minister Imran Khan.

In the meeting, professional matters related to the military were discussed.

Who Is Major General Babar Iftikhar?

Major General Babar Iftikhar was commissioned into Pakistan Army in March 1990.

He is graduate of the Command and Staff College Quetta, National Defence University Islamabad and Royal Command and Staff College Jordan. .

Babar Iftikhar has served in an Armoured Brigade as as Brigade Major, Brigadier Staff in an Infantry Division in Waziristan and Chief of Staff in Corps Headquarters.

He has also led an Armoured Brigade and Infantry Brigade in operation Zarb-e-Azb  in North Waziristan.

He has also served on the faculty of Pakistan Military Academy and National Defence University Islamabad.

He is married with four sons.

An avid reader and golfer, Maj Gen Iftikhar was presently commanding an Armoured Division before being appointed as DG ISPR.

Promotion Board From Brigadiers To Major General

Promotion board from Brigadiers to Major General held at General Headquarters.

Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Qamar Javed Bajwa presided.

A total of 987 officers considered for promotion out of which 37 Brigadiers including 9 from Army Medical Corps approved for promotion to the rank of Major General.

Those promoted include Brigadier Babar Iftikhar, Brigadier Muhammad Ahmed Malik, Brigadier Irfan Arshad, Brigadier Muhammad Shahbaz Khan, Brigadier Tahir Hameed Shah, Brigadier Irfan Ahmed Malik, Brigadier Raza Ali Khan, Brigadier Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, Brigadier Zahid Sarwar Malik, Brigadier Kashif Nazir, Brigadier Adnan Asif Jah Shad, Brigadier Muhammad Zahid Khan, Brigadier Ghulam Jafar, Brigadier Muhammad Munir Afsar and others.

Those approved from Army Medical Corps include Brigadier Malik Muhammad Masud, Brigadier Muhammad Salman Ashraf, Brigadier Chaudhary Muhammad Qamar Ul Haq Noor, Brigadier Syed Raza Jaffar, Brigadier Khursheed Muhammad Uttra, Brigadier Mrs Shehla Baqai, Brigadier Wasim Alamgir, Brigadier Muhammad Asad Qureshi, Brigadier Rasikh Maqsood.

Major General Asif Ghafoor’s Military Life

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.

As the chief spokesperson of Pakistan’s military, Major General Asif Ghafoor had a history of gaffes and bluster.

Especially when it came to talk about India, Major General Asif Ghafoor was caught sharing incorrect information several times on social media.

Major General Ghafoor shot to prominence in India in the aftermath of the Indian Air Force’s February 2019 Balakot airstrike.

As the Pakistan military’s spokesperson Major General Ghafoor took the lead in implementing Islamabad’s strategy of denying any and all assertions made by New Delhi.