Honorific-Prefix: | Lieutenant General |
Asif Ghafoor | |
Honorific-Suffix: | HI(M) |
Office: | President of the National Defence University |
Term Start: | 25 November 2023 |
Office1: | Corps Commander XII Corps |
Term Start1: | 4 August 2022 |
Term End1: | 24 November 2023 |
Predecessor1: | Sarfraz Ali |
Succeeded1: | Rahat Naseem |
Office2: | Inspector General Communication & Information Technology |
Term Start2: | 28 November 2020 |
Term End2: | 2 August 2022 |
Office3: | General Officer Commanding 40th Infantry Division, Okara |
Term Start3: | 31 January 2020 |
Term End3: | 28 November 2020 |
Office4: | 20th Director-General of the ISPR |
Term Start4: | 15 December 2016 |
Term End4: | 31 January 2020 |
Predecessor4: | Asim Saleem Bajwa |
Successor4: | Babar Iftikhar |
President4: | Mamnoon Hussain Arif Alvi |
Primeminister4: | Nawaz Sharif Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Imran Khan |
Office5: | General Officer Commanding 21st Artillery Division, Swat |
Term Start5: | February 2016 |
Term End5: | 15 December 2016 |
Alma Mater: | Pakistan Military Academy, Command & Staff College Quetta, Command & Staff College Bandung (Indonesia), National Defence University, Islamabad |
Serviceyears: | 1986–present |
Military Blank1: | Service number |
Military Data1: | PA-27699 |
Rank: | Lieutenant General |
Awards: | Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military) |
Battles: |
Asif Ghafoor (Urdu: آصِف غفور) is a Lieutenant General in the Pakistan Army,[1] currently serving as the President of the National Defence University, Islamabad. Previously, he served as Corps Commander Quetta. Ghafoor has also served as the 20th Director General of the ISPR.[2]
Asif Ghafoor is a graduate of the Command & Staff College in Quetta, Command & Staff College Bandung in Indonesia and the National Defence University in Islamabad. He holds a master's degree in Strategic Studies.
He was commissioned on 9 September 1988 in the 87 SP Medium Regiment Artillery after four years of training (1984-1988) as a Cadet in the Junior Cadet Battalion at PMA Kakul (1986–88). He had participated in the Kargil War as a Major, operations against terrorists in tribal areas of FATA and Swat during 2008-10 as a Lieutenant Colonel in Operation Sherdil and has commanded a Division at Swat, Malakand in 2016 as a Major General. Asif has also served as Director Military Operations at Army Headquarters GHQ as a Brigadier commanded Divisional Artillery deployed along the Line of Control and infantry brigade along eastern border. He has been on faculty of Command and Staff College Quetta.
The General has served on various staff, instructional and command assignments including Brigade Major Infantry Brigade, Assistant Military Secretary MS Branch, GSO-I Military Operations Directorate, GHQ, Director Military Operations in Military Operations Directorate, GHQ. He has been on the faculty of Command and Staff College, Quetta. He has commanded his parent unit in Operation al-Mizan, Artillery Brigade on Line of Control, Infantry Brigade on Eastern Border and a Division at Swat, Malakand.[3] [4] [5] The General is recipient of COAS Commendation Card[6] for operations in Bajaur during 2008 and Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military).
In December 2016, Ghafoor was appointed as the Director-General of the ISPR.[7] While serving as DG ISPR, he faced criticism for maintaining a personal Twitter account and engaging in disputes with journalists and individuals who criticized Pakistan's military.
In January 2020, Gen. Ghafoor was appointed as the General Officer Commanding 40 Division in Okara.[8] [9] [10] On 25 November 2020, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General[11] and appointed as Inspector General Communications and Information Technology till August 2022. In August 2022, Asif Ghafoor was appointed Quetta Corps Commander after the death of Lt General Sarfraz Ali in a air crash and continued to held command till November 2023.[12]
The general currently serving as the President National Defence University Islamabad since November 2023.[13]
S No | Command | Duration | Preceded By | Succeeded By | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 21 Artillery Division, Swat (Now at Pannu Aqil) | January 2016 - December 2016 | Maj Gen | Maj Gen (Now Lt Gen) Ali Aamir Awan | |
2 | December 2016 - January 2020 | Lt Gen Asim Bajwa | Maj Gen (Lt Gen) Babar Iftikhar | ||
3 | 40 Infantry Division, Okara | January 2020 - December 2020 | Maj Gen Azhar Waqas | Maj Gen Asad Ur Rehman | |
4 | Inspector General Communication and Information Technology | December 2020 - August 2022 | Lt Gen Ali Aamir Awan | Lt Gen Muhammad Munir Afsar | |
5 | Commander XII Corps, Quetta | August 2022 – November 2023 | Lt Gen Rahat Naseem Ahmed Khan | ||
6 | November 2023 - present | Lt Gen Rahat Naseem Ahmed Khan |
Hilal-e-Imtiaz(Military) (Crescent of Excellence) | ||||
Tamgha-e-Diffa(General Service Medal) Siachen Glacier Clasp | Tamgha-e-Baqa(Nuclear Test Medal) 1998 | Tamgha-e-Istaqlal Pakistan(Escalation with India Medal) 2002 | Tamgha-e-Azm(Medal of Conviction) (2018) | |
10 Years Service Medal | 20 Years Service Medal | 30 Years Service Medal | 35 Years Service Medal | |
Jamhuriat Tamgha(Democracy Medal) 1988 | Qarardad-e-Pakistan Tamgha(Resolution Day Golden Jubilee Medal) 1990 | Tamgha-e-Salgirah Pakistan(Independence Day Golden Jubilee Medal) 1997 | Command and Staff College QuettaCentenary Instructor's Medal |
|-