Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Putting rumours to rest, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday appointed Lieutenant General Qamar Javed Bajwa the chief of army staff (COAS) and Lieutenant General Zubair Mahmood Hayat the chairman joint chiefs of staff committee (CJCSC).

Both senior army officers have been promoted to the rank of general as well. Sources told Daily Times that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made this important decision during his visit to Turkmenistan. General Zubair Mahmood Hayat was on top of the seniority list, so President Mamnoon Hussain, on the advice of the premier, promoted him to the rank of general and appointed him the CJCSC. On the other hand, General Qamar Javed Bajwa was fourth in line, but the prime minister picked him for the most important slot. He was also promoted to the rank of general and made the new army chief. He will assume his new responsibilities on November 29 in a change of command ceremony at the General Headquarters (GHQ).

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations, Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa was commissioned in the 16 Baloch Regiment on October 24, 1980. He is a graduate of the Canadian Army Command and Staff College, Toronto, Canada, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, USA and National Defence University, Islamabad. He has been an instructor at School of Infantry and Tactics, Quetta, Command and Staff College, Quetta and the NDU. He has been a brigade major of an infantry brigade and chief of staff of Rawalpindi Corps. He has commanded 16 Baloch Regiment, an infantry brigade, and has commanded Infantry Division in Northern Areas (Commander FCNA). He has also commanded the Pakistani contingent in Congo. He has commanded Rawalpindi Corps, and was until now the inspector general of training and evaluation at the GHQ.

General Zubair Mahmood Hayat was commissioned in the Artillery Regiment on October 24, 1980. He is a graduate of Fort Sill Oklahoma, USA, Command and Staff College Camberley United Kingdom and National Defence University, Islamabad. He has wide experience of command, staff and instructional appointments. He has commanded an artillery regiment, mechanised division artillery, an infantry brigade and an infantry division. He has been an adjutant at the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA), brigade major of an infantry brigade, and army and air adviser at the Pakistan Embassy in the UK. He has also been chief of staff of a strike corps, private secretary to the COAS and director general Staff Studies Directorate at the GHQ. He has also held the post of director general of the Strategic Plan Division (SPD), which is part of the National Command Authority that oversees Pakistan’s weapons programme. He has commanded 31 Corps Bahawalpur and was until now the chief of general staff at the GHQ.