Daily Times

Major General Babar Iftikhar has been posted as Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) in place of Major General Asif Ghafoor, who has been appointed General Officer Commanding (GOC) Okara.

According to ISPR, Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar, who joined Pakistan Army as a commissioned officer in 1990, belongs to the Unit 6 Lancer of the Armoured Corps. He graduated from Command and Staff College Quetta, National Defence University (NDU) and Royal Command and Staff College of Jordan.

Major General Babar Iftikhar has extensive experience of working on command and staff positions. He has also served as Brigade Major and Brigadier Staff of the Infantry. He has commanded the Infantry and Armoured Brigade during the Operation Zarb-e-Azb. Besides, he has performed duties as instructor at NDU and Pakistan Military Academy. He is married with four sons. An avid reader and golfer, Maj Gen Iftikhar was presently commanding an Armoured Division before being appointed as DG ISPR.

Following the development, Major General Asif Ghafoor tweeted that he is thankful to all those who remained associated with him during his posting as DG ISPR. “Thanks to everyone I have remained associated with during the tenure. My very special thanks to media all across.” He also thanked fellow Pakistanis for their love and support and extended best wishes to new DG ISPR for his success.

Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor was appointed as DG ISPR in December 2016. He had replaced Lt Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa. According to the ISPR website, Maj Gen Ghafoor was commissioned on Septemeber 9, 1988, in 87 Medium Regiment. He is a graduate of Command & Staff College Quetta, Command & Staff College Bandung (Indonesia) and NDU Islamabad. He holds a master’s degree in strategic studies. He has held 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. He has commanded his parent unit in Operation Al-Mizan, Artillery Brigade at the Line of Control, Infantry Brigade on the eastern border and a Division at Swat, Malakand. Maj Gen Ghafoor is a recipient of the COAS Commendation Card for operations in Bajaur in 2008.