Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has announced that Lt. Gen. Raheel Sharif, will be next Chief of Army Staff, while Lt. Gen. Rashad Mahmood will be the new Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.
A notification issued by Pakistan's defence ministry said both Lt. Gen. Raheel Sharif and Lt. Gen.Rashad Mahmood have been promoted to the rank of four-star generals with effect from Thursday (November 28).
According to the Dawn, both generals will take up their new posts from Friday, the day incumbent Chief of Army Staff, General Asfaq Pervez Kayani retires.
Lt. Gen. Raheel Sharif is currently serving as Inspector General (Training and Evaluation), whereas Lt. Gen. Mahmood is serving as Chief of General Staff.
Raheel Sharif holds the Hilal-i-Imtiaz military award, and is the younger brother of late Major Shabbir Sharif, who received the Nishan-i-Haider for his bravery in the 1971 war.
Both senior military officials met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif earlier today, where the premier conveyed his decisions to them.
The two meetings were viewed as immensely significant as they came a day before General Kayani's retirement from his post of army chief.
The prime minister had sent a summary to promote the two generals and approve their appointments to the president, who is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The summary was approved, following which the notification was issued by the defence ministry.
"On the advice of the Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and in pursuance of Article 243/4(a) and 243/4(b) of the Constitution of Pakistan, President of Pakistan and Supreme Commander of Armed Forces, Mamnoon Hussain has been pleased to promote and appoint Gen. Rashid Mehmood as Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and Gen. Raheel Sharif as Chief of the Army Staff," said a statement from the PM House.
The post of army chief is arguably the most powerful in Pakistan and anxiety prevailed on who will replace the taciturn and chain-smoking General Kayani, who will step down on Friday after six years at the helm.
