RAWALPINDI - In his first major decision after assuming charge on Friday, the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif appointed a three-star General to fill in the slot of Chief of General Staff (CGS).
Lieutenant General Ishfaq Nadeem Ahmad has been appointed new CGS, a military statement said.
Nadeem was promoted to the three-star General rank on August 8 this year alongwith three other Major Generals, Qamar Javed Bajwa, Zamir-ul-Hassan and Javed Iqbal but was not assigned any posting.
This, according to military sources, was so because Ishfaq Nadeem had gone abroad on a professional training course, which he has topped. Nadeem has recently returned to Pakistan after completing the said course, officials informed.
Lt-Gen Ishfaq Nadeem was Director General Military Operations (DG MO) at the time of promotion. He was replaced by Maj-Gen Aamer Riaz. Zamir-ul-Hassan Shah was Commander Army Air Defence Command (AADC), Qamar Javed Bajwa, Commandant School of Infantry and Tactics (Quetta) and Javed Iqbal, Chief Instructor B-Division at National Defence University (NDU) Islamabad.
After promotions, Lt. Gen Qamar Bajwa was appointed Corps Commander Rawalpindi, Lt-Gen Zamir-ul-Hassan Commander AADC and Lt-Gen Javed Iqbal was appointed President NDU.
Ishfaq Nadeem has commanded a strike infantry division and led successful military operations in Swat. He has also been Chief of Staff of a strike corps.
Nadeem's appointment as CGS seems to be General Raheel Sharif's first major decision taken after assuming the COAS charge on Friday. The position of CGS had fallen vacant on Wednesday following the promotion and subsequent placement of General Rashad Mahmood as Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC).
–SIKANDER SHAHEEN