Major General Babar Iftikhar has been appointed as the new Director-General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR), replacing Major General Asif Ghafoor, sources have claimed.

According to the details, Major General Babar Iftikhar appointed as new DG ISPR, replacing General Asif Ghafoor.

HIGHLIGHTS:

1. Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor took over as the Pak military spokesperson in 2016
Advertisement
2. He has now been appointed the GOC of the Pakistan Army’s 40th Infantry Division
3. Major General Babar Iftikhar will replace Ghafoor as the Pak military spokesman

Major General Babar Iftikhar will replace Asif Ghafoor as the Pak military spokesman.

An official post by DG ISPR on Twitter said, “Alhamdulillah. Thanks to everyone I have remained associated with during the tenure. My very special thanks to Media all across. Can’t thank enough fellow Pakistanis for their love and support. Best wishes to new DG ISPR for his success.”

Advertisement

Alhamdulillah.
Thanks to everyone I have remained associated with during the tenure. My very special thanks to Media all across. Can’t thank enough fellow Pakistanis for their love and support.
Best wishes to new DG ISPR for his success.#PakArmedForcesZindabad#PakistanZindabad

— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) January 16, 2020

Asif Ghafoor also posted farewell message on his personal account, thanking everyone for their support. “Stay strong, continue doing your bit for Pakistan. Stay blessed,” he wrote.

Thanks for your love & support. Stay strong, continue doing your bit for Pakistan.Stay blessed
آپکی محبت اورحمایت کاشکریہ۔ مضبوط رہتے ہوۓ پاکستان کے لئے اپنا کام جاری رکھیں۔ Stay blessed.

Advertisement

— Asif Ghafoor (@peaceforchange) January 16, 2020

Asif Ghafoor was commissioned into the Pakistan Army in 1988. 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.

Reports are claiming that Major General Asif Ghafoor is due to be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General and has finished his term as the Director-General of the media wing of Pakistan Army.

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.

Major General Asif Ghafoor Tenure Beginning

According to the ISPR website, Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor was commissioned into the Pakistan Army in 1988.

He holds a master’s degree in strategic studies and was appointed the director general of ISPR in Decembet 2016.

After the announcement, Twitter is bustling with all sorts of reactions.

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 Babar Iftikhar New DG ISPR

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.