COAS Coursemate Lieutenant General Ashfaq Nadeem

Lieutenant General (R) Ashfaq Nadeem, former GOC Swat, DGMO, CGS, and Corps Commander passed away. He died of a heart attack on Friday, September 25, 2021. He has previously served as Chief of General Staff and Director General of Military Operations. As Lieutenant Colonel, he served in the Operations Directorate for two years.

After being promoted to the rank of Brigadier, Ashfaq Nadeem was appointed Chief of Staff of the i-Corps. And also he served in Waziristan. In May 2009, On the rank of Major General, he was promoted. During his tenure as Major General, he led as Commander-in-Chief of the Second Battle of Swat where he was posted in August 2009.

As Major General, he was installed as Director General of Military Operations in 2011, where he served until 2013 and also planned the Pakistan Army’s Operation Zarb-e-Azb during his tenure as Director-General of Military Operations. He was awarded the Hilal Imtiaz (Military) in August 2011. Ashfaq Nadeem was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General in August 2013. He was appointed Vice Chief of General Staff and soon after was appointed Chief of General Staff.

Shortly after Raheel Sharif took over as the 15th Chief of Army Staff, he was appointed the 31st Chief of General Staff in November 2013. Ashfaq Nadeem belonged to 34 Azad Kashmir Regiment where he was installed as Colonel Commandant in April 2014.

Ashfaq Nadeem was posted as II Corps Commander in Multan in April 2015. He also led the mechanized corps. He was part of JCB-1 (Junior Cadet Battalion, PMA) and then 62 long courses of Pakistan Military Academy. Ashfaq later joined Mari Petroleum Company Limited on January 26, 2017, as Managing Director / CEO.

Lt. Gen. Ashfaq Nadeem is credited with successfully leading Operation Rah-e-Rast in Swat in 2009, followed by Operation Zarb-e-Azb in 2014 as DGMO. He was a coursemate of Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa from 62 PMA. Long course Army Chief carrying the coffin of his course mate Lieutenant General (retd) Ashfaq Nadeem. It is inconceivable to see a coursemate like Bhai leaving this world.

Also, he was very keen on Kashmir’s independence. However, his dream did not come true during the service. After retirement, he sighed that his biggest regret was that I did not see the independence of Kashmir. . Your services to the country will always be remembered. May Allah grant General Ashfaq Nadeem a high position in Paradise. Amen.