Raheel Sharif

Raheel Sharif (Urdu: راحیل شریف; born 16 June 1956), NI(M), HI(M), is a retired Pakistan Army four-star general who served as the 15th Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army. He is considered as the most popular army general in the country's history.[4] After his retirement as Pakistan's Army Chief, he was appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition, a 39-nation alliance of Muslim countries headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.[5]

General Raheel Sharif NI (M) HI (M)
Commander-In-Chief Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition
Incumbent
Assumed office 29 May 2017
9th Chief of Army Staff
In office 29 November 2013 – 29 November 2016
Preceded by	Ashfaq Parvez Kayani
Succeeded by	Qamar Javed Bajwa
Inspector General of the Training and Evaluation
In office October 2012 – November 2013
Commander XXX Corps, Gujranwala
In office October 2010 – October 2012
Personal details
Born	(1956-06-16) 16 June 1956 Quetta, West Pakistan
Relations	Major Raja Aziz Bhatti Shaheed (Nishan-e-Haider) (distant relative) Major Shabbir Sharif Shaheed (Nishan-e-Haider) (brother) Captain Mumtaz Sharif (brother)[1]
Parents	Major Muhammad Sharif (father)[2]
Alma mater	Garrison Boys High School Government College Lahore Pakistan Military Academy Bundeswehr University Munich National Defense University Canadian Army Command and Staff College Royal College of Defense Studies
Awards	Nishan-e-Imtiaz Hilal-i-Imtiaz[3]
Military service
Allegiance	Pakistan
Branch/service	Pakistan Army
Years of service	1976–2016
Rank	General
Unit	6th FF Regiment
Commands	Islamic Military Alliance Chief of Army Staff XXX Corps XI Division 6 Frontier Force Regiment 26 Frontier Force Regiment
Battles/wars	War in North-West Pakistan • Operation Zarb-e-Azb 2014 Kashmir Skirmishes

Under General Raheel Sharif's command, the Pakistan Army carried out anti-terrorism operations across the country. The most important of these was in North Waziristan, namely Operation Zarb-e-Azb which eradicated taliban strongholds in the region and stabilized the entire country.[6] He expanded the role of paramilitaries in Karachi which is widely credited with reducing the level of violence in Pakistan's commercial capital.[7] The Pakistani military under his command has also supported the democratically elected government on the federal level and the Baloch provincial and local government in ending the Balochistan insurgency by pursuing reconciliation[8] and integration of former militants back into mainstream Pakistani society.[9][10][11] General Sharif also developed a new brigade-level military unit to help protect and secure the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which runs through Balochistan province.[12] General Sharif helped to develop Pakistan's indigenous defence industry which resulted in the savings of more than $1.14 billion of Pakistan's forex, over a year and half time period.[13]

General Sharif achieved his objectives by strengthening the role of the military in affairs directly concerning national security and foreign policy, while leaving the civilian government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in control of social and economic policy.[14][15][16] and reconciled Pakistan with America by striking against militant groups near the Afghan border,[17] carrying out Pakistan's first joint military exercises with Russia,[18] and deepening relations with China.[19]

For the first time in twenty years, a general retired on time (without seeking extension of tenure) with General Sharif's retirement.[20][21] General Sharif said that he was "ready to serve Pakistan" even after his retirement.[22][23] General Sharif left a respected legacy in Pakistan. He is widely credited with reducing terrorism inside the country; violence in the country was reduced to its lowest level since 2006,[24] with an overall decline of 80% in terrorist attacks under his tenure.[25]

Early life

General Raheel Sharif was born in Quetta, capital of Pakistan's Balochistan province. He belongs to a family of Rajput with roots in Punjab (in the town of Kunjah, Gujrat).[1][26][27] He has a prominent military background,[2] and is the son of (late) Major Muhammad Sharif.[2] He is the youngest sibling among three brothers and two sisters.[28] his elder brother was Shabbir Sharif (28 April 1943 – 6 December 1971) was a Pakistani Army officer who was posthumously awarded the Nishan-e-Haider during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. He is the only person ever who received both the Nishan-e-Haider and Sitara-e-Jurat for his bravery. He is regarded as the most decorated officer of the Pakistan Army. and His other brother, Captain Mumtaz Sharif, served in Pakistan Army and for his bravery in saving soldiers from a burning tank during an exercise accident was awarded Sitara-e-Basalat, he received an early retirement due to his injuries.[1] From his mother's side, he is the distant relative of Major Raja Aziz Bhatti, another Nishan-e-Haider recipient, who was declared as the martyr of Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 by Pakistan.[29] He is married and has four children, three sons and a daughter.[2] He is an avid reader and enjoys hunting and swimming.[30]

Military service

Sharif received his formal education from the Government College in Lahore and afterward attended the 54th long course (L/C) of Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) . After his passing out in October 1976, he was commissioned into the 6th Battalion of the Frontier Force Regiment, where his elder brother had also served. He served as an adjutant to the Pakistan Military Academy and joined an infantry brigade in Gilgit. He has the distinction of commanding two infantry units, 6FF and 26FF as a Lt. Colonel and also as an Acting Brigade Commander in Sialkot during 1999 India-Pakistan escalation. During the Army monitoring of 2000 he was given control of Gujranwala district and is credited for bringing substantial administrative and social reforms to the area. As a Brigadier, he commanded two infantry brigades.[2] In 2001, he was appointed Colonel of Staff of 30 Corps Guranwala. Due to US invasion of Afghanistan he was then posted as Colonel of Staff at Corps Head Quarters Quetta, Balochistan to handle the situation on the Pak-Afghan border. In 2004 he was selected to join the prestigious Royal College of Defence Studies, Uk where he graduated with distinction. [31]
In 2005 he was promoted to the rank of Major General and assigned command of the coveted 11th Infantry Division in Lahore by General Pervez Musharraf. After commanding the division for over two years, he was posted as Commandant of the Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul. Following his promotion to Lieutenant General, Sharif served as a Corps Commander Gujranwala and then as the Inspector General for Training and Evaluation of the Pakistan Army before becoming the 15th Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan.[2]

Role in Counter Terrorism

As the Inspector General for Training and Evaluation, he enhanced the military colleges in the country and provided unconventional warfare training to the troops.[32] He also deals with the evaluation of military doctrines and war strategies with a view to shaping future training programs. He changed the army's focus more towards carrying out counter-insurgency operations against Tehrik-i-Taliban (Pakistani Taliban) militants.[32]

General Sharif has spearheaded a thinking in Pakistan military since 2007 that fighting Taliban inside Pakistan is more important than focusing on India, Pakistan's arch rival since independence.[33]

Chief of Army Staff

On 27 November 2013, Sharif was appointed as the 15th Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.[34]

In 2013, Sharif was conferred with Nishan-e-Imtiaz (military).[35] He has the distinction of being conferred with 5 international military awards, highest for any Pakistani Army Chief till date, in recognition for his outstanding leadership in the fight against terrorism and bringing stability to the region. General Raheel Sharif retired as the Chief of Army Staff on 29 November 2016.[36]

Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition

In April 2017, Raheel got the approval of the Government of Pakistan to serve as head of Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition a 39-nation Islamic military alliance being headquartered in Saudia Arabia.[37][38]

Awards and decorations

Service Medals
	10 Years Service Medal[39]
	20 Years Service Medal[39]
	30 Years Service Medal[39]
	35 Years Service Medal
	Command and Staff College Centenary Medal[39]
Non-operational Military Awards
	Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Order of Excellence Military)[39]
	Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Crescent of Excellence)[39]
Commemorative Medal
	Qarardad-e-Pakistan Tamgha (Resolution Day Golden Jubilee Medal)[39]
	Jashan-e-Wiladat-e-Quaid-e-Azam Medal
	Tamgha-e-Istaqlal (Escalation versus India Medal)[39]
	Hijri Tamgha (Hijri Medal)[39]
	Tamgha-e-Jamhuriat (Democracy Medal)[39]
	Independence Day Golden Jubilee Medal[39]
	Tamgha-e-Baqa (Nuclear Test Medal)[39]
Foreign Awards
	Order of Abdulaziz al Saud (Saudi Arabia)[40]
	Legion of Merit (United States)[41][42][43]
	Order of Military Merit (Brazil)[44]
	Order of the Military Merit (Jordan)[45][46][47][48]
	Legion of Merit of Turkey[49][50]

Effective dates of promotion

Promotions

Insignia	Rank	Date
	Second Lieutenant	(Oct 1976)
	Lieutenant	(Apr 1977)
	Captain	(Oct 1979)
	Major	(Oct 1984)
	Lieutenant Colonel	(May 1993)
	Colonel	(July 1999)
	Brigadier	(June 2001)
	Major-General	(Feb 2006)
	Lieutenant-General	(Apr 2010)
	General	(Nov 2013), Promotion to four star rank as 9th Chief of Army Staff and subsequently retired after completing his 3 year tenure on (Nov 2016).

References

1. "Luck plays role in Gen Sharif's promotion". The News. 28 November 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
2. "Profile: Lt General Raheel Sharif". Dawn. 27 November 2013. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
3. "Official Profile of Chief of Army Staff". Archived from the original on 9 October 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
4. Mateen Haider (1 January 2013). "Lt Gen Raheel Sharif chosen as new army chief". Dawn. Dawn.Com. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
5. "Pakistan allows General (Retd) Raheel Sharif to lead Saudi-led military alliance". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
6. "Zarb-e-Azb resulted into more secure, stable Pakistan: Army Chief Gen Raheel". Retrieved 29 May 2017.
7. "Karachi: 7 accused arrested in Rangers, police operation – Pakistan – Dunya News". Retrieved 29 May 2017.
8. Shahid, Saleem (29 June 2015). "Khan of Kalat being persuaded to return home". Retrieved 29 May 2017.
9. "People of Balochistan shunned externally-funded terrorists: COAS – Pakistan – Dunya News". Retrieved 29 May 2017.
10. "144 Baloch militants surrender weapons, accepting amnesty offer from government". Retrieved 29 May 2017.
11. Shah, Syed Ali (29 October 2015). "30 militants including two commanders surrender". Retrieved 29 May 2017.
12. Khan, Raza (12 August 2016). "15,000 troops of Special Security Division to protect CPEC projects, Chinese nationals". Retrieved 29 May 2017.
13. "Defence production saved forex worth $1.14b – The Express Tribune". 26 November 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
14. Khan, M. Ilyas (23 November 2016). "Raheel Sharif: The army chief who ruled without a coup". Retrieved 29 May 2017 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
15. "Pakistan's Military Tightens Grip on Security Policy". Time. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
16. "Russia, Pakistan conduct first-ever joint military drills (PHOTOS)". Retrieved 29 May 2017.
17. "General Sharif convenes meeting with US Ambassador – Pakistan – Dunya News". Retrieved 29 May 2017.
18. House, Vice Admiral Anil Chopra, Gateway. "Has Russia lost goodwill in India by conducting military exercises with Pakistan?". Retrieved 29 May 2017.
19. "China, Pakistan to deploy warships to safeguard Balochistan port". 25 November 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
20. "General Raheel Sharif's journey to success". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
21. Nauman, Qasim (21 November 2016). "Pakistan Army Chief Raheel Sharif Starts Retirement Tour". Retrieved 29 May 2017 – via www.wsj.com.
22. "Injured war veterans are national heroes: Gen Raheel Sharif – The Express Tribune". 6 January 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
23. "Ready to serve Pakistan after retirement, says Gen Raheel". Retrieved 29 May 2017.
24. Ahmed, Amin (20 November 2016). "Global index records drop in terrorist activities in Pakistan during 2015". Retrieved 29 May 2017.
25. "70% decline in terrorist attacks in Pakistan – The Express Tribune". 9 September 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
26. Mustafa, Nazia (29 November 2013). "From Sharif to Sharif". Nawaiwaqt Newspaper (in Urdu). Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
27. "After Nishan-e-Haider (Urdu)". urdu.alarabiya.net. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
28. Reuters (23 February 2011). "Lt Gen Raheel Sharif appointed new army chief – The Express Tribune". Tribune.com.pk. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
29. "Lt. General Raheel Sharif Appointed as Chief of Army Staff". Pakistan Tribune. 27 November 2013. Archived from the original on 28 November 2013. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
30. "Welcome to ISPR". www.ispr.gov.pk. Archived from the original on 9 October 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
31. Luck plays role in Gen Sharif’s promotion Print Edition The News International, Shakil Shaikh, November 28, 2013 | Retrieved 7 July, 2015
32. Khan, Wajahat S. (29 November 2013). "Knows the rules, makes a pincer move". thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
33. "Profile: Raheel Sharif, Pakistan's 'strategic' army head". BBC. 27 November 2013.
34. Waraich, Omar (27 November 2013). "Gen. Raheel Sharif: Pakistan's New Army Chief Assumes Pivotal Job | TIME.com". World.time.com. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
35. "President honours army chief, JCSC head with Nishan-e-Imtiaz". Tribune. 20 December 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
36. "General Janjua may be next ISI DG". nation.com.pk. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
37. "Retired Pakistani General in Riyadh to Lead Saudi Coalition". 22 April 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
38. editor-m. "Iran Regime Not OK With Islamic NATO". Retrieved 29 May 2017.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
39. "Raheel Sharif meets Chuck Hagel". 9 December 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
40. "Gen Raheel meets with Saudi political, military leadership". Dawn. 5 February 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
41. "Army chief conferred US Legion of Merit medal". Dawn. 20 November 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
42. "Army chief relays concerns about Indian ceasefire violations to US: report". The Express Tribune. 19 November 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
43. "Army chief Gen Raheel Sharif conferred US Legion of Merit medal". TheNewstribe. 19 November 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
44. "General Raheel Sharif decorated with Brazil's 'Order of Merit'". Dawn. 25 November 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
45. "Gen Raheel awarded Jordanian medal of merit". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
46. "Gen Sharif conferred with Jordanian Medal of Merit". arynews.tv. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
47. Reporter, The Newspaper's Staff (26 April 2016). "Jordanian medal of merit conferred on COAS". www.dawn.com. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
48. "Medal of merit: Jordan decorates Gen Raheel with award – The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 26 April 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
49. "COAS Raheel Sharif awarded Turkish Legend of Merit". arynews.tv. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
50. "War against terror: Pakistan stands with Turkey, says General Raheel – The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 13 October 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2016.

External links

Military offices
Preceded by Ashfaq Pervez Kayani	Chief of Army Staff 2013–2016	Succeeded by Qamar Javed Bajwa