Raheel Sharif Explained

Honorific Prefix:General (R)
Raheel Sharif
Office1:1st Commander of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition
Term Start1:29 May 2017
Office2:9th Chief of Army Staff
Term Start2:29 November 2013
Term End2:29 November 2016
President2:Mamnoon Hussain
Primeminister2:Nawaz Sharif
Predecessor2:Ashfaq Parvez Kayani
Successor2:Qamar Javed Bajwa
Office3:Inspector General of the Training and Evaluation
Term Start3:October 2012
Term End3:November 2013
Office4:Commander XXX Corps, Gujranwala
Term Start4:October 2010
Term End4:October 2012
Birth Date:16 June 1956
Birth Place:Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan
Residence:Kunjah
Serviceyears:1976–2016
Rank:General
Unit:6th FF Regiment
Commands:
Battles:
Relations:Raja Aziz Bhatti (Uncle) Shabbir Sharif (Brother)
Parents:Major Muhammad Sharif (father)
Fazl Begum (mother)
Education:Garrison Boys High School, Lahore Cantt
Government College Lahore
Pakistan Military Academy
National Defense University
Mawards:





General Raheel Sharif (Urdu: ; born 16th June 1956) is a retired four-star army general of the Pakistan Army who served as the ninth chief of army staff from 29 November 2013 to 29 November 2016.[1] After his retirement as Pakistan's army chief, he was appointed as the commander of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition, a 41-nation alliance of Muslim countries headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.[2]

Under General Raheel Sharif's command, the Pakistan Army carried out anti-terrorism operations across the country. The most important of these was in North Waziristan, namely Operation Zarb-e-Azb which eradicated taliban strongholds in the region and stabilized the entire country.[3] He expanded the role of paramilitaries in Karachi which is widely credited with reducing the level of violence in Pakistan's commercial capital.[4] The Pakistani military under his command has also supported the democratically elected government on the federal level and the Baloch provincial and local government in ending the Balochistan insurgency by pursuing reconciliation[5] and integration of former militants back into mainstream Pakistani society.[6] [7] [8] General Sharif also developed a new brigade-level military unit to help protect and secure the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which runs through Balochistan province.[9] General Sharif helped to develop Pakistan's indigenous defence industry which resulted in the savings of more than $1.14 billion of Pakistan's forex, over a year and half time period.[10]

General Sharif achieved his objectives by strengthening the role of the military in affairs directly concerning national security and foreign policy, while leaving the civilian government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in control of social and economic policy.[11] [12] and reconciled Pakistan with America by striking against militant groups near the Afghan border,[13] carrying out Pakistan's first joint military exercises with Russia,[14] and deepening relations with China.[15]

For the first time in twenty years, a general retired on time (without seeking extension of tenure) with General Sharif's retirement.[16] [17] General Sharif said that he was "ready to serve Pakistan" even after his retirement.[18] [19] General Sharif left a respected legacy in Pakistan. He is widely credited with reducing terrorism inside the country; violence in the country was reduced to its lowest level since 2006,[20] with an overall decline of 80% in terrorist attacks under his tenure.[21]

Early life

General Raheel Sharif was born in Quetta, capital of Pakistan's Balochistan province. He belongs to a Punjabi Bhatti Rajput family with roots in Punjab, in the town of Kunjah, Gujrat.[22] [23] [24] He has a prominent military background,[25] and is the son of (late) Major Muhammad Sharif.[25] He is the youngest sibling among three brothers and two sisters.[26] his elder brother Major Shabbir Sharif (28 April 1943 – 6 December 1971) was a Pakistan Army officer who was posthumously awarded the Nishan-e-Haider during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. Shabbir Sharif is regarded as the highest decorated military officer of the Pakistan Army who received both the Nishan-e-Haider (1971) and Sitara-e-Jurat (1965), and received the Sword of Honour at Pakistan Military Academy upon graduation. His second brother, Captain Mumtaz Sharif, served in Pakistan Army and for his bravery in saving soldiers from a burning tank during an exercise accident, was awarded Sitara-e-Basalat, he received an early retirement due to his injuries.[22] From his mother's side, he is related to Major Raja Aziz Bhatti, another Nishan-e-Haider recipient, who was declared as the martyr of Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 by Pakistan.[27] Raheel Sharif is married and has four children, three sons and a daughter.[25]

Military service

Sharif received his formal education from Garrison Boys High School, Lahore Cantt, and later on he studied from the Government College in Lahore and afterward attended the 54th long course (L/C) of Pakistan Military Academy (PMA). After his passing out in October 1976, he was commissioned into the 6th Battalion of the Frontier Force Regiment, where his elder brother had also served. He served as an adjutant to the Pakistan Military Academy and joined an infantry brigade in Gilgit. He has the distinction of commanding two infantry units, 6FF and 26FF as a Lt. Colonel and also as an Acting Brigade Commander in Sialkot during 1999 Kargil War. During the Army monitoring of 2000 he was given control of Gujranwala district and is credited for bringing substantial administrative and social reforms to the area. As a Brigadier, he commanded two infantry brigades.[25] In 2001, he was appointed Chief of Staff of 30 Corps Gujranwala. He was later posted as Chief of Staff at Corps Headquarters Quetta, Balochistan. In 2004 he was selected to join the prestigious Royal College of Defence Studies, UK where he graduated with distinction.[28]
In 2005 he was promoted to the rank of Major General and assigned command of the coveted 11th Infantry Division in Lahore. After commanding the division for over two years, he was posted as Commandant of the Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul. Following his promotion to Lieutenant General, Sharif served as a Corps Commander Gujranwala and then as the Inspector General for Training and Evaluation of the Pakistan Army before becoming the 15th Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan.[25]

Role in Counter Terrorism

As the Inspector General for Training and Evaluation, he enhanced the military colleges in the country and provided unconventional warfare training to the troops. He also dealt with the evaluation of military doctrines and war strategies with a view to shaping future training programs. He changed the army's focus more towards carrying out counter-insurgency operations against Tehrik-i-Taliban (Pakistani Taliban) militants.[29]

General Sharif has spearheaded a thinking in Pakistan military since 2007 that fighting Taliban inside Pakistan is more important than focusing on India, Pakistan's arch rival since independence.[30]

Chief of Army Staff

On 27 November 2013, Sharif was appointed as the 15th Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.[31]

In 2013, Sharif was conferred with Nishan-e-Imtiaz (military).[32] He has the distinction of being conferred with 5 international military awards, highest for any Pakistani Army Chief till date, in recognition for his outstanding leadership in the fight against terrorism and bringing stability to the region. General Raheel Sharif retired as the Chief of Army Staff on 29 November 2016.[33]

Karachi Operation

General Raheel Sharif launched Karachi Operation in 2013 to clear the city from the political and criminal gang rivalry which was creating havoc in the city. The Karachi which was counted as 6th most dangerous city of the world in 2013 eliminated out of list of 100 dangerous cities in 2017, making it more peaceful than Delhi, Chicago and Tehran.

Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition

In April 2017, Raheel got the approval of the Government of Pakistan to serve as head of Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition a 41-nation Islamic military alliance being headquartered in Saudi Arabia.[34] [35] [36]

Awards and decorations

Nishan-e-Imtiaz(Military)

(Order of Excellence)

Hilal-e-Imtiaz(Military)

(Crescent of Excellence)

Tamgha-e-Baqa(Nuclear Test Medal)

1998

Tamgha-e-Istaqlal Pakistan(Escalation with India Medal)

2002

10 Years Service Medal20 Years Service Medal
30 Years Service Medal35 Years Service MedalTamgha-e-Sad Saala Jashan-e-Wiladat-e-Quaid-e-Azam

(100th Birth Anniversary of

Muhammad Ali Jinnah)

1976

Hijri Tamgha(Hijri Medal)

1979

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 & Staff CollegeQuetta

Instructor's Medal

Foreign Decorations

Foreign Awards
Saudi ArabiaOrder of Abdulaziz al Saud[37]
United StatesThe Legion of Merit (Degree of Commander)[38] [39] [40]
BrazilOrder of Military Merit[41]
TurkeyTurkish Legion of Merit[42] [43]
JordanThe Order of Military Merit (Grand Cordon)[44] [45] [46] [47]

Effective dates of promotion

Insignia Rank Date
General, COASNov 2013
Apr 2010
Major-GeneralFeb 2006
BrigadierJune 2001
ColonelJuly 1999
Lieutenant ColonelMay 1993
MajorOct 1984
Oct 1979
Apr 1977
Second LieutenantOct 1976

Bibliography

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Mateen Haider . Lt Gen Raheel Sharif chosen as new army chief . Dawn . 1 January 2013 . 27 November 2013.
  2. Web site: Pakistan allows General (Retd) Raheel Sharif to lead Saudi-led military alliance. geo.tv. 29 May 2017.
  3. Web site: Zarb-e-Azb resulted into more secure, stable Pakistan: Army Chief Gen Raheel. 29 May 2017.
  4. Web site: Karachi: 7 accused arrested in Rangers, police operation – Pakistan – Dunya News. 14 February 2008 . 29 May 2017.
  5. Web site: Khan of Kalat being persuaded to return home. Saleem. Shahid. 29 June 2015. 29 May 2017.
  6. Web site: People of Balochistan shunned externally-funded terrorists: COAS – Pakistan – Dunya News. 14 February 2008 . 29 May 2017.
  7. Web site: 144 Baloch militants surrender weapons, accepting amnesty offer from government. 29 May 2017.
  8. Web site: 30 militants including two commanders surrender. Syed Ali. Shah. 29 October 2015. 29 May 2017.
  9. Web site: 15,000 troops of Special Security Division to protect CPEC projects, Chinese nationals. Raza. Khan. 12 August 2016. 29 May 2017.
  10. Web site: Defence production saved forex worth $1.14b. The Express Tribune. 26 November 2016. 29 May 2017.
  11. Web site: Raheel Sharif: The army chief who ruled without a coup. M. Ilyas. Khan. 23 November 2016. 29 May 2017. BBC.
  12. Pakistan's Military Tightens Grip on Security Policy. Time. 29 May 2017.
  13. Web site: General Sharif convenes meeting with US Ambassador – Pakistan – Dunya News. 14 February 2008 . 29 May 2017.
  14. Web site: Has Russia lost goodwill in India by conducting military exercises with Pakistan?. Vice Admiral Anil Chopra. 3 Oct 2016. 29 May 2017.
  15. Web site: China, Pakistan to deploy warships to safeguard Balochistan port. 25 November 2016. 29 May 2017.
  16. Web site: General Raheel Sharif's journey to success. geo.tv. 29 May 2017.
  17. Web site: Pakistan Army Chief Raheel Sharif Starts Retirement Tour. Qasim. Nauman. 21 November 2016. 29 May 2017. wsj.com.
  18. Web site: Injured war veterans are national heroes: Gen Raheel Sharif. The Express Tribune. 6 January 2014 . 29 May 2017.
  19. Web site: Ready to serve Pakistan after retirement, says Gen Raheel. 25 November 2016 . 29 May 2017.
  20. Web site: Global index records drop in terrorist activities in Pakistan during 2015. Amin. Ahmed. 20 November 2016. 29 May 2017.
  21. Web site: 70% decline in terrorist attacks in Pakistan. The Express Tribune. 9 September 2015. 29 May 2017.
  22. News: Luck plays role in Gen Sharif's promotion. The News International. 28 November 2013. 1 December 2013.
  23. News: From Sharif to Sharif. Mustafa . Nazia. 29 November 2013. Nawaiwaqt Newspaper. ur. 29 October 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304075146/http://www.nawaiwaqt.com.pk/mazamine/29-Nov-2013/%D8%B4%D8%B1%DB%8C%D9%81-%D8%B3%DB%92-%D8%B4%D8%B1%DB%8C%D9%81-%D8%AA%DA%A9. 4 March 2016. dead.
  24. News: After Nishan-e-Haider (Urdu) . urdu.alarabiya.net. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304083018/http://urdu.alarabiya.net/ur/politics/2013/12/01/%D9%86%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%AD%DB%8C%D8%AF%D8%B1-%DA%A9%DB%92-%D8%A8%D8%B9%D8%AF.html. 2016-03-04. dead.
  25. News: Profile: Lt General Raheel Sharif. Dawn. 27 November 2013. 27 November 2013.
  26. News: Reuters . Lt Gen Raheel Sharif appointed new army chief. The Express Tribune . 23 February 2011 . 27 November 2013.
  27. News: Lt. General Raheel Sharif Appointed as Chief of Army Staff. Pakistan Tribune. 27 November 2013. 27 November 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131128184503/http://www.pakistantribune.com.pk/6825/lt-general-raheel-sharif-appointed-as-chief-of-army-staff.html . 28 November 2013.
  28. http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-2-216819-Luck-plays-role-in-Gen-Sharifs-promotion Luck plays role in Gen Sharif’s promotion
  29. Web site: Knows the rules, makes a pincer move. Wajahat S. . Khan . The News International . 29 November 2013 . 3 December 2013.
  30. News: Profile: Raheel Sharif, Pakistan's 'strategic' army head. BBC. 27 November 2013.
  31. Web site: Waraich . Omar . Gen. Raheel Sharif: Pakistan's New Army Chief Assumes Pivotal Job | TIME.com . World.time.com . 2013-11-27 . 2013-12-03.
  32. News: President honours army chief, JCSC head with Nishan-e-Imtiaz . The Tribune . 20 December 2013 . 21 December 2013.
  33. Web site: General Janjua may be next ISI DG. The Nation. 26 August 2014 . Pakistan. 18 July 2016.
  34. Web site: 2020-12-23 . DiplomaticQuarter: Bangladesh envoy lauds Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition's works . 2022-08-31 . Arab News . en.
  35. Web site: Retired Pakistani General in Riyadh to Lead Saudi Coalition. 22 April 2017. 29 May 2017.
  36. Web site: Iran Regime Not OK With Islamic NATO. Staff Writer. 4 April 2017 . 29 May 2017.
  37. News: 5 February 2014 . Gen Raheel meets with Saudi political, military leadership . Dawn . 18 February 2014.
  38. Web site: 2014-11-20 . Army chief conferred US Legion of Merit medal . 2016-08-02 . . Pakistan.
  39. Web site: 2014-11-19 . Army chief relays concerns about Indian ceasefire violations to US: report . 2016-08-02 . The Express Tribune.
  40. Web site: 2014-11-19 . Army chief Gen Raheel Sharif conferred US Legion of Merit medal . 2016-08-02 . TheNewstribe.
  41. News: 25 November 2015 . General Raheel Sharif decorated with Brazil's 'Order of Merit' . Dawn . 25 November 2015.
  42. Web site: COAS Raheel Sharif awarded Turkish Legend of Merit . 2016-05-02 . arynews.tv. 12 October 2015 .
  43. Web site: 2015-10-13 . War against terror: Pakistan stands with Turkey, says General Raheel . 2016-05-02 . The Express Tribune.
  44. Web site: Gen Raheel awarded Jordanian medal of merit . 2016-05-02 . The News International.
  45. Web site: Gen Sharif conferred with Jordanian Medal of Merit . 2016-05-02 . arynews.tv. 25 April 2016 .
  46. Web site: Staff Reporter . 2016-04-26 . Jordanian medal of merit conferred on COAS . 2016-05-02 . Dawn . Pakistan.
  47. Web site: 2016-04-26 . Medal of merit: Jordan decorates Gen Raheel with award . 2016-05-02 . The Express Tribune.