Chief of the Army Staff | General Raheel Sharif's Desk.

[Zarvan]

Lieutenant-General Raheel Sharif’s ascent to Pakistan's top military job is something of a surprise.

It was widely understood the outgoing chief, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, wanted the more senior Lieutenant-General Rashid Mahmood to take the post. Instead, Mahmood - a close confidant of Kayani - was given the role of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, a technically superior but largely ceremonial role.

Raheel Sharif is a career infantry soldier and the military's third most senior officer. Little else is known about him apart from the fact his brother was one of the army's most decorated soldiers and was killed in the 1971 war with India.

He is also believed to be close to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's family but is not a relative. Talat Masood, a retired major-general, says Sharif’s appointment could reinvigorate the country’s military.

"Every commander is different. He will bring in a different atmosphere and a different way of working," Masood says. "Some of the old policies will likely continue, but his way of working will be different."

Raheel Sharif's reputation as a professional soldier with no obvious political ambitions possibly played a major factor in his selection by Nawaz Sharif.

Difficult experiences

Nawaz Sharif, who served as prime minister twice before, has had difficult experiences with appointing army chiefs.

During his second term in office, he appointed General Pervez Musharraf.

But Musharraf overthrew his government in a coup in 1999, resulting in nine years of military rule - something Masood says Nawaz Sharif is keen to prevent from happening again.

"I think he wanted to be absolutely certain and extremely confident the next person chosen as chief of army staff would not destabilize the civilian government and try to restore the civil-military balance which has always been in favour of the military," Masood says.

"And I think he wanted to be able to assert himself over the military, and that I think was his prime consideration."

The transition comes as Pakistan is preparing for the fallout from the withdrawal of US-led coalition troops from Afghanistan at the end of 2014.

The US military and government see Pakistan's cooperation as vital to Washington's strategy in the region.

Raheel Sharif is expected to continue with Kayani's policies to avoid overt interference in politics and with assisting the US as it withdraws from Afghanistan.

But Pakistan has been ruled by the military for more than half of its 66 year history, which means there are no guarantees another military takeover can be ruled out.

 

[XYON]

Ironically, Ex-COAS was nicked 'ALMAS BOBBY' and the new Army Chief nick is also 'BOBBY' ..... Any Questions?

 

[Panther 57]

Lieutenant-General Raheel Sharif’s ascent to Pakistan's top military job is something of a surprise.

It was widely understood the outgoing chief, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, wanted the more senior Lieutenant-General Rashid Mahmood to take the post. Instead, Mahmood - a close confidant of Kayani - was given the role of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, a technically superior but largely ceremonial role.

Raheel Sharif is a career infantry soldier and the military's third most senior officer. Little else is known about him apart from the fact his brother was one of the army's most decorated soldiers and was killed in the 1971 war with India.

He is also believed to be close to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's family but is not a relative. Talat Masood, a retired major-general, says Sharif’s appointment could reinvigorate the country’s military.

"Every commander is different. He will bring in a different atmosphere and a different way of working," Masood says. "Some of the old policies will likely continue, but his way of working will be different."

Raheel Sharif's reputation as a professional soldier with no obvious political ambitions possibly played a major factor in his selection by Nawaz Sharif.

Difficult experiences

Nawaz Sharif, who served as prime minister twice before, has had difficult experiences with appointing army chiefs.

During his second term in office, he appointed General Pervez Musharraf.

But Musharraf overthrew his government in a coup in 1999, resulting in nine years of military rule - something Masood says Nawaz Sharif is keen to prevent from happening again.

"I think he wanted to be absolutely certain and extremely confident the next person chosen as chief of army staff would not destabilize the civilian government and try to restore the civil-military balance which has always been in favour of the military," Masood says.

"And I think he wanted to be able to assert himself over the military, and that I think was his prime consideration."

The transition comes as Pakistan is preparing for the fallout from the withdrawal of US-led coalition troops from Afghanistan at the end of 2014.

The US military and government see Pakistan's cooperation as vital to Washington's strategy in the region.

Raheel Sharif is expected to continue with Kayani's policies to avoid overt interference in politics and with assisting the US as it withdraws from Afghanistan.

But Pakistan has been ruled by the military for more than half of its 66 year history, which means there are no guarantees another military takeover can be ruled out.

You never know what happens in future. I am sure Bhutto was much more smart, intelligent and shrewd. He cautiously selected Zia, which proved to be his Waterloo.

 

[Zarvan]

He has finally taken the command stick handed over to Raheel Shareef

Those who are leading the march guys two of them are major and from Tribal areas @Aeronaut @Leader @Oscar and others and please kiyani to keep quite he is talking to others and his voice is clear on mike still

 

[Zarvan]

Islamabad: Just after midnight in early October, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and a coterie of his closest advisers met at his palatial Lahore home and made his toughest decision since coming to power - picking the new army chief.

The meeting took place only hours after Pakistan's all-powerful army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani suddenly announced he would retire in November, scotching rumours he was seeking to extend his tenure.

Sharif saw Kayani's departure as a chance to limit the sway of an institution that has ruled Pakistan for more than half its 66-year history.

He immediately sat down with his top aides to choose a successor, an insider with first-hand knowledge of the event told Reuters.

"We have to say 'no' to the Kayani doctrine," the insider quoted Sharif as saying at the meeting. "(Sharif) and the three others in the room all agreed that it was time to show the world that this was no longer Kayani's army."

Lieutenant-General Raheel Sharif, considered a rank outsider in the race for army chief, is due to take charge of the world's sixth-largest military in a ceremony on Friday.

The decision was announced on Wednesday, and came as a shock to those familiar with the country's politics.

Not only did Sharif choose to bypass Lieutenant-General Haroon Aslam, the most senior military officer after Kayani and thus his natural heir, but he also ignored Kayani's personal favourite, Lieutenant-General Rashad Mahmood.

Raheel Sharif, 57, is known as a laid-back man with a fondness for cigars and an almost complete lack of political ambition.

His father, a retired major, ran one of the country's most exclusive country clubs in Pakistan's cultural capital, Lahore, ensuring a connection with Nawaz Sharif, who has long been one of the most important members of the city's upper classes.

Most importantly, Raheel Sharif, who is no relation to the prime minister, has twice served under tribal affairs minister Abdul Qadir Baloch, a retired general and one of Nawaz Sharif's closest confidants.

Baloch was at the Lahore meeting when Raheel Sharif's name was finalised for the top job.

COMPROMISE

Sharif knew, however, that he could not entirely overrule Kayani, the quiet, chain-smoking general, who at one point was voted by Forbes magazine as the 28th most powerful man in the world.

Kayani had favoured Mahmood for the post. So Sharif chose a compromise aimed at placating Kayani loyalists.

He appointed Mahmood chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, technically the country's highest military office but historically subservient to the army chief.

Raheel Sharif will at times have to defer to Mahmood, his nominal boss, given his lack of experience in the intelligence service or the Military Operations Directorate, two traditionally powerful areas.

The decision to appoint a Kayani loyalist as joint Chiefs chairman is a political concession that will make or break Sharif's term as the prime minister of the coup-plagued South Asian nation, retired military officers and analysts said.

It is an attempt to appease the generals while also allowing the balance of power in the country to swing toward the civilian government for the first time in more than a decade, said military affairs expert and author Ahmed Rashid.

"Politicians here have a tendency to think that lesser known generals are more manageable generals," he said. "Raheel (Sharif) has not been on the radar at all. He doesn't have a public persona in the way that the other front-runners do."

For a prime minister determined to wrest control of strategic and foreign policy from the army, appointing Mahmood, a man moulded in Kayani's image, who would come to the job with his own ideas, would have been less than ideal.

As one retired air marshal said: "Appointing Mahmood would have meant another three years of Kayani's thinking. It was a no-brainer."
© Thomson Reuters 2013
With a midnight meeting, delicate new balance emerges in Pakistan | NDTV.com

 

[Rahil khan]

RAWALPINDI: A change of command ceremony was held at the General Headquarters (GHQ), Rawlapindi on Friday where the outgoing Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani handed over the command of Pakistan Army to the new army chief General Raheel Sharif, Geo News reported.

As the ceremony started, outgoing Army Chief Gen Kayani inspected the farewell guard of honor at the GHQ.

The army chief-designate Gen Raheel Sharif was also present at the ceremony who assumed the command of Pakistan Army as 15th COAS.

Gen Kayani addressed the change of command ceremony and in his brief address, he thanked the army officers and soldiers for extending their cooperation to him.

He said that Pakistan Army overcame all the challenges in a professional manner and never disappointed the nation while dealing with the internal threats or natural calamities.

Gen Kayani continued saying that Pakistan armed forces have made unprecedented sacrifices over the last few years. He said that no one can stop us from progressing and attaining a distinctive point at international level.

He said that everyone has to play one’s positive role for the development of the country by rising above all the sectarian and ethnic differences. He also said that difficulties are always challenges for nations but we have to find a way to face and solve them.

The outgoing army chief said that after the retirement, his heart will continue to beat with the Pakistan Army.

He, then, wished best of luck to Pakistan, Pakistan Army and all the personnel.

Kayani, known as the ‘quiet general of Pakistani politics,’ has been given much credit for resisting the temptation to meddle in politics despite Pakistan’s frequent security, economic, power and political crises.

Kayani was appointed the army chief by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in 2007 and received an unprecedented three-year extension from premier Yusuf Raza Gilani in 2010. During his six years tenure, he came across formidable challenges.

 

[nirreich]

I wish the new COAS a successful term. May he help Pakistan tackle its problems and not worsen them, like some of his predecessors did. I hope he will bring a new responsible national security policy for Pakistan and perhaps even renewed efforts to normalize relations with Israel.

 

[Zarvan]

General Pervez Ashfaq Kayani, who pushed the Pakistani Taliban out of Swat Valley, has formally retired after six years as Pakistan's chief of army staff.

He passed the baton at a ceremony in Islamabad on Friday to General Raheel Sharif, who formally became the head of the South Asian nation's military.

The military is Pakistan's best funded and most influential institution and has controlled the coup-prone nation for more than half of its 66-year history.

Kayani took office in 2007, after being appointed by the former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf.

Upon taking the job, he frequently travelled to conflict areas to meet his men who were fighting and dying in large numbers.

But like his predecessor, he also struggled to counter the threat of armed groups in the country’s lawless tribal areas.

Military analysts say this led Kayani to focus on what he saw as the true enemy of the nation.

In a speech earlier this year he did not name India - a country it has fought three wars with - as the only threat to Pakistan

"Today we are faced with internal as well as external challenges. The problems on our internal battlefront require our special attention because they pose a great threat every Pakistani," he said.

Significant threat

Under Kayani, the country faced its most significant threat in years.

In 2009, a faction of the Pakistani Taliban had taken control of the northern Swat region. In response, Kayani launched the defining military operation of his career.

Under his supervision, the Taliban was driven back into the remote tribal areas. But Kayani's popularity quickly sank in 2011.

That year began with the killing of two Pakistanis in the eastern city of Lahore by Raymond Davis, a CIA security contractor, and ended with an accidental air strike by US-led forces on a Pakistani border post that killed 24 soldiers.

Between those two crises was Kayani's greatest perceived failing - the Osama bin Laden raid.

Not because the Pakistani army failed to find the world's most wanted man, but because of the embarrassment caused when the US military launched its raid on Pakistani soil without Pakistan's knowledge.

The unilateral action spurred widespread anti-American protests and the military faced rare public criticism, directed mainly at Kayani.

He helped end the resulting tensions with Washington by making compromises with US military leaders.

Civilian milestone

Still, Pakistan's army chief never managed to quite give the Americans what they wanted - decisive action against the Haqqani network, a Pakistan-based armed group that regularly attacks US and NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Today Kayani retires against the backdrop of a historic civilian milestone.

In May, Pakistan held general elections, the country's first transition of power between two democratically elected governments through the ballot box.

The fact Kayani never tried to lead a coup against a democratically elected government appears to have helped his reputation to some degree.

But the Pakistani Taliban still controls important parts of the northern tribal areas, and remains an enduring threat.

And so, while Kayani is able to retire with some grace, he leaves behind him some unfinished business for his replacement, Sharif.
Pakistan's army chief hands over power - Features - Al Jazeera English

 

[HariPrasad]

I like the man.........more brains then balls.

Yes, He seems to be a mature guy.

 

[Kompromat]

Does this mean that General Tariq will be the de-facto Vice Chief of the Army Staff?

@Xeric

 

[Side-Winder]

Today there was hell of tightened security around GHQ as i went past the area.
the GCs of our college were also asked to go to GHQ and therefore our paper was cancelled today

 

[fatman17]

Does this mean that General Tariq will be the de-facto Vice Chief of the Army Staff?

@Xeric

how are you assuming this?

coas was 3rd senior.
tariq is 5th senior.

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

Holly sh!t

Kayani is gone -_-

All the best for Raheel though.

@Aeronaut

 

[Kompromat]

how are you assuming this?

coas was 3rd senior.
tariq is 5th senior.

Just not sure sir, technically the senior most should have been the commander in the land of surprises.

Who do you think will be the VCoAS?

Holly sh!t

Kayani is gone -_-

All the best for Raheel though.

@Aeronaut

42 years of service to Pakistan - He needs rest.

 

[Zarvan]

@Yzd Khalifa he is the brother of of war hero Major Shabbir Shareef who got martyred in 71 war and our relation with Saudi Arabia will remain strong and grow more stronger we need to increase our military corporation go for training and joint exercises and Saudi Arabia should increase its Army and other forces and also Pakistan and Saudi Arabia should go for joint ventures

Just not sure sir, technically the senior most should have been the commander in the land of surprises.

Who do you think will be the VCoAS?




42 years of service to Pakistan - He needs rest.

and also hell of smoking by the way when they say he I mean Raheel designed the new training are they referring to LCB