Sahir Shamshad Mirza Explained

Honorific Prefix:	General
Honorific Suffix:	NI(M) HI(M)
Sahir Shamshad Mirza
Birth Place:	Mulhal Mughlan, Chakwal District, Pakistan
Father:	Shamshad Mirza
Office1:	18th Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee
Term Start1:	27 November 2022
President1:	Arif Alvi Asif Ali Zardari
Predecessor1:	General Nadeem Raza Embed: yes Office2: Corps Commander Rawalpindi Term Start2: 7 September 2021 Term End2: 26 November 2022 Predecessor2: Azhar Abbas Successor2: Shahid Imtiaz Office3: 35th Chief of General Staff Term Start3: June 2019 Term End3: September 2021 Predecessor3: Nadeem Raza Successor3: Azhar Abbas Office4: Adjutant General at GHQ Term Start4: June 2019 Term End4: September 2019 Predecessor4: Faiz Hameed Successor4: Muhammad Aamer Office5: Vice Chief of General Staff – Alpha Term Start5: October 2018 Term End5: June 2019 Successor5: Major General Muhammad Asim Malik Predecessor5: Major General Shaheen Mazhar Mehmood Office6: Director General Military Operations Term Start6: September 2015 Term End6: October 2018 Successor6: Major General Nauman Zakaria Predecessor6: Major General Aamer Riaz Office7: GOC 40th Infantry Division, D.I. Khan Term Start7: February 2015 Term End7: September 2015 Successor7: Major General Abid Mumtaz
Unit:	8 Sind Regiment
Serviceyears:	1987–Present
Rank:	General
Commands:	^[1]
Battles:	Sierra Leone Civil War Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Operation Zarb-e-Azb
Education:	Pakistan Military Academy National Defence University Cranfield University ^[2]
Awards:	Nishan-e-Imtiaz Hilal-e-Imtiaz Order of Bahrain Star of Jordan

General Sahir Shamshad Mirza (Urdu: {{nq|ساحر شمشاد مرزا) is a four-star general in the Pakistan Army, currently serving as the 18th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee^[3] appointed to the post on 27 November 2022.^[4] Prior to his appointment as Commander of X Corps at Rawalpindi, he previously served as 35th Chief of General Staff until he was succeeded by Azhar Abbas.^{[5] [6]}

Early life

Sahir was born to Shamshad Mirza in Mulhal Mughlan, a small village located in Chakwal District. Sahir lost his parents at a young age which led to him being raised as an orphan.^[7]

Military career

Sahir was commissioned into the 8th Sind Regiment of the Pakistan Army after completing the 76th Pakistan Military Academy course on 10 September 1987. He has held commands such as adjutant general at the GHQ, Commander X Corps and Director General for Military Operations.^[8] During his assignment at Military Operations, he commanded 40th Infantry Division in Okara.^[9]

Military schooling and teachings

He graduated from the Pakistan Military Academy, Command and Staff College, Quetta and National Defence University, Pakistan. He also received his M.Sc. degree in Global Security from Cranfield University, United Kingdom.^[10]

On 8 December 2022, Sahir received the Nishan-e-Imtiaz (military) award alongside COAS Asim Munir from Arif Alvi at the Aiwan-e-Sadr. The top military officials were given the awards in front of Prime Minister of Pakistan, diplomats, lawmakers, and federal ministers.^[11]

Publications

• Lieutenant Colonel Sahir Shamshad Mirza, “Subcontinental Security and Its Impact on World Security: Challenges and the Way Forward”, NDU Journal, 2009.^[12]

Effective dates of promotion

Insignia	Rank	Date
	General	Nov 2022^[13]
		April 2019
	Major General	February 2015^[14]
	Brigadier	September 2012
	Colonel	directly promoted to brigadier
	Lieutenant Colonel	April 2002
	Major	May 1996
		April 1991
		October 1989
	Second Lieutenant	October 1987

Awards and decorations

Nishan-e-Imtiaz(Military) (Order of Excellence) (2022)
Hilal-e-Imtiaz(Military) (Crescent of Excellence) (2018)	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 DayNishan e HaiderGolden Jubilee Medal) 1990	Tamgha-e-Salgirah Pakistan(Independence Day Golden Jubilee Medal) 1997
Command & Staff College QuettaInstructor's Medal	United Nations UNOMSIL Medal (2 Deployments)	The Order of Bahrain2nd Class^[15] (Bahrain) (2021)	Order of theStar of Jordan^[16] ^[17] (Jordan) (2023)

Foreign decorations

Foreign Awards
	UNOMSIL Medal
Bahrain	The Order of Bahrain (2nd Class)
Jordan	Order of the Star of Jordan (1st Class)

Notes and References

1. https://dnd.com.pk/nishan-i-imtiaz-conferred-on-cjcsc-general-sahir-shamshad-mirza/279344
2. News: Nishan-i-Imtiaz Conferred on CJCSC General Sahir Shamshad Mirza. 8 December 2022. en. During his illustrious military career, he served on various Command, Staff and Instructional assignments. His major staff appointments include Brigade Major of two Infantry Brigades, General Staff Officer Grade-1 (Plans) at Pakistan Contingent United Nations Mission Sierra Leone, Director Military Operations and Director General Military Operations, Vice Chief of General Staff, Adjutant General and Chief of General Staff at the General Headquarters. In his instructional appointments, he has been on the faculty of the School of Infantry and Tactics, Quetta, Pakistan Military Academy (PMA), Kakul and Command and Staff College, Quetta. General Sahir Shamshad Mirza has commanded an Infantry Battalion, each in North Waziristan and Shaqma War Zone, and Infantry Brigade along the Working Boundary, an Infantry Division in Operation Al-Mizan and Command of 10 Corps..
3. Web site: PM Shehbaz chooses Lt Gen Asim Munir as COAS, Lt Gen Sahir Shamshad as CJCSC . 2022-11-24 . www.thenews.com.pk . en.
4. Web site: Web Desk . Lt General Sahir Shamshad Mirza appointed Commander Rawalpindi Corps: ISPR . The Nation . 2021-09-07 . 2021-09-09.
5. Web site: Lt General Sahir Shamshad Mirza Appointed New Chief of Joint Staff: Pak Army . News18 . 2019-11-26 . 2021-09-09.
6. Web site: Lt Gen Azhar Abbas made army’s chief of general staff . DAWN.COM . 2021-09-08 . 2021-09-09.
7. News: What is ‘Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee’ and who is its new chairman Gen Sahir Shamshad?. 27 November 2022. english. General Sahir Shamshad Mirza belongs to Malhal Mughlan, a town of Chakwal district in Punjab. It is said that his father died in his early age and a few months after his father’s death, his mother also left this world. After losing his parents, General Sahir Shamshad made his own life through hard work..
8. Web site: Banerji . Rana . The man who could succeed Pak army chief . Rediff . 2019-11-26 . 2021-09-09.
9. Web site: Four promoted to rank of lieutenant general . DAWN.COM . 2019-04-13 . 2021-09-09.
10. News: Nishan-i-Imtiaz Conferred on CJCSC General Sahir Shamshad Mirza. 8 December 2022. en. During his illustrious military career, he served on various Command, Staff and Instructional assignments. His major staff appointments include Brigade Major of two Infantry Brigades, General Staff Officer Grade-1 (Plans) at Pakistan Contingent United Nations Mission Sierra Leone, Director Military Operations and Director General Military Operations, Vice Chief of General Staff, Adjutant General and Chief of General Staff at the General Headquarters. In his instructional appointments, he has been on the faculty of the School of Infantry and Tactics, Quetta, Pakistan Military Academy (PMA), Kakul and Command and Staff College, Quetta. General Sahir Shamshad Mirza has commanded an Infantry Battalion, each in North Waziristan and Shaqma War Zone, and Infantry Brigade along the Working Boundary, an Infantry Division in Operation Al-Mizan and Command of 10 Corps..
11. Web site: 2022-12-08 . President Alvi confers Nishan-i-Imtiaz (military) on COAS, CJCSC . 2022-12-08 . The Express Tribune . en.
12. Book: Shah, Aqil . The Army and Democracy: Military Politics in Pakistan . . 2014 . 372.
13. https://www.bolnews.com/bolpedia/lt-gen-sahir-shamshad-mirza/
14. https://www.ispr.gov.pk/press-release-detail?id=2777
15. Web site: 2017-12-05 . Bahrain News: King Hamad highlights Bahrain's strong bilateral ties with Pakistan . 2024-01-06 . www.gdnonline.com.
16. Web site: Inter Services Public Relations Pakistan . 2024-01-06 . ispr.gov.pk.
17. Web site: 2023-12-20 . Jordan’s King Abdullah awards medal to Pakistan’s General Sahir Shamshad Mirza amid security talks . 2024-01-06 . Arab News PK . en.