Maj Gen Azhar Waqas made DGMI

RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Army Thursday made a reshuffle appointing Major General Azhar Waqas as Director General Military Intelligence (DGMI) and Major General Babar Iftikhar as DG Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) replacing Major General Asif Ghafoor.

Major General Waqas is currently GOC Okara and will be replacing Major General Sarfraz Ali.

Major General Asif Ghafoor will be taking over the 40th Infantry Division, Okara as the General Officer Commanding (GOC). Gen Asif was appointed as Director General ISPR on December 26, 2016. "Thanks to everyone I have remained associated with during the tenure," Major General Asif Ghafoor wrote on Twitter.

He especially thanked the media all across. Gen Asif said he could not thank fellow Pakistanis for their love and support. He also expressed best wishes for his successor. He was commissioned into the Pakistan Army on September 9, 1988 in the 87 Medium Regiment. He is a graduate of the Command and College Quetta, Staff College Bandung (Indonesia), and the National Defence University (NDU), Islamabad. The general has served on various staff, instructional, and command assignments including Brigade Major Infantry Brigade, Assistant Military Secretary MS Branch, GHQ, Directing Staff Command & Staff College Quetta, and Director Military Operations in Military Operations Directorate, GHQ.

Prior to his posting at the ISPR, Major General Babar Iftikhar was serving as GOC 1 Armored Division, Multan. He was atop the list of 37 Brigadiers who were selected out of 987 one-star officers for promotion as Major General in June 2018.

Major General Babar was commissioned in 6 Lancers of Armored Corps of Pakistan Army in 1990.

He is a graduate of Command and Staff College Quetta, National Defence University (NDU) Islamabad and Royal Command Staff College Jordan.

Besides teaching at NDU, Major General Babar was also posted at Pakistan Military Academy (PMA), Kakul. As Brigadier, he also commanded armored and infantry brigade during military operation Zarb-e-Azb.