RAWALPINDI - The newly appointed Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Raheel Sharif hails from a martial stock. He was born in Quetta on June 16, 1956 to Major and Mrs Muhammad Sharif.
Lt-Gen Sharif, who himself was conferred with Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military), is younger brother of Major Shabir Sharif (Nishan-e-Haider, Sitara-e-Jurrat), and Capt Mumtaz Sharif (Sitara-e-Bisalat).
He is an alumnus of Government College Lahore, and Pakistan Military Academy from where he passed out with 54th Course, according to his bio data issued by ISPR here on Wednesday.
Raheel Sharif was commissioned in October 1976 in the battle hardened and renowned battalion, the Frontier Force Regiment. As a young officer, he performed his duties in Gilgit in an infantry brigade and also served as Adjutant of Pakistan Military Academy.
Lt-Gen Sharif did company commander’s course from Germany and subsequently served in the prestigious School of Infantry and Tactics as an instructor. He attended the Command and Staff College Canada, graduating with distinction. The officer carries with him a vast experience of command, staff and instructional appointments. He served as brigade major of an infantry brigade and has commanded two infantry units i.e. 6 Frontier Force Regiment at Kashmir along LOC and 26 Frontier Force Regiment along the Sialkot border. He remained on the faculty of the Command and Staff College, Quetta and attended Armed Forces War Course at National Defence University in 1998. As a brigadier, he has commanded two infantry brigades.
The general has had the honour of being the Chief of Staff of two Corps, i.e. 30 Corps and 12 Corps. He is also a graduate of the prestigious Royal College of Defence Studies, United Kingdom. He has been the general officer commanding of an infantry division and the commandant of prestigious Pakistan Military Academy.
As a lieutenant general, he served as Corps Commander 30 Corps for two years before taking over as inspector general training and evaluation. The general is married and has two sons and a daughter. He is an avid reader and enjoys hunting and swimming.