Gen Raheel one of the finest military leaders of this generation: PM

ISLAMABAD: The farewell reception of Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif was held at the Prime Minister House on Thursday.

The reception —hosted by the PM Nawaz Sharif himself — was attended by all four senior Lieutenant Generals, DG ISI Lt. Gen Rizwan Akhtar and other high-level military officials and federal ministers.

On the occasion, Nawaz Sharif while paying tribute to COAS said that Gen Raheel Sharif proved without a shadow of a doubt that he is one of the finest military leaders of this generation.

The premier said that under the leadership of General Raheel Sharif, the army not only confronted external threats but also the menace of terrorism.

Nawaz Sharif said that General Raheel successfully established the writ of the state and reclaimed every inch of Pakistan’s territory.

The army flawless executed operation Zarb-e-Azab and General Raheel led from the front, PM added.

PM said that he relied on strategic advice of General Raheel for the past three years.

“Pakistan is much more safer and securer than it was in 2013”, PM Nawaz said.

On Wednesday sources had told Geo News that  the defence ministry has sent a summary for the appointment of new military leadership to the premier.

The summary requested the PM to appoint a new COAS and Joint Chief of Staff Committee Gen Rashid Mahmood, as both of them are to retire on Nov 29.

Sources said that summary named four senior army officials. It emerged that Chief of General Staff Lt Gen Zubair Hayat currently tops the senior-most list of Pakistan Army, followed by Corps Commander Multan Lt Gen Ishfaq Nadeem Ahmad, Corps Commander Bahawalpur Lt Gen Javed Iqbal Ramday and Inspector General of Training and Evaluation Lt Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, in descending order.

Earlier today, General Raheel Sharif visited Bara Tehsil of the Khyber Agency and addressed members of the tribal Jirga.

He said that India had staged a ‘drama’ of surgical strike. “If India conducts a surgical strike we will give such a response that lessons of the Pakistan Army will be taught in Indian courses,” the Army chief was quoted as saying.

The Army chief also added that he would be handing over command of the Pakistan Army to the next Chief of Army Staff on November 29.

During the visit, General Raheel Sharif inaugurated the Shahid Afridi stadium.