12 major generals promoted to lieutenant general rank

RAWALPINDI: Twelve Major Generals of Pakistan Army have been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General, the Inter-Services Public Relations said Tuesday.

The promoted officers included the Vice Chief of General Staff (VCGS-A) Nauman Zakaria, who has served as Director-General of Military Operations, VCGS-B Major General Shahid Nazir and Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar.

Major General Babar Iftikhar is the third DG ISPR who was promoted to three-star General. Previously, Lt. General Asim Saleem Bajwa and Lt. General Asif Ghafoor were given promotions. However, Lt. General Asif Ghafoor was promoted after his transfer from the ISPR to the post of General Officer Commanding, Okara.

Major General Babar Iftikhar performed duties as DG ISPR at a difficult time and successfully led a media campaign during the Covid-19 and flood crises in many parts of the country. He also effectively countered the anti-country Army agenda as the military spokesman. Hailing from the renowned 6th Lancers of Armoured Corps and a Graduate of Command and Staff College, Gen Babar completed a Foreign Staff course from Jordan and led a brigade in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan.

Two officers from the Corps of Engineers Major General Inaam Haider Malik and Major General Kashif Nazir were also promoted to three-star Generals. Those promoted include Major General Inam Haider Malik (Engineers), Major General Fayyaz Hussain Shah (Sindh Regiment), Major General Nauman Zakria (Armoured Corps), Major General Muhammad Zafar Iqbal (Air Defence), Major General Ayman Bilal Safdar (Artillery), Major General Ahsan Gulrez (Frontier Force), Major General Syed Aamer Raza (Armoured Corps), Major General Shahid Imtiaz (Azad Kashmir Regiment), Major General Muhammad Munir Afsar (Punjab Regiment), Major General Babar Iftikhar (Armoured Corps), Major General Yousaf Jamal (Frontier Force) and Major General Kashif Nazir (Engineers).