General Raheel Sharif, the CoAS, chaired a farewell Corps Commanders Conference at GHQ yesterday. The Conference was attended by General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the CoAS-designate, Corps Commanders and Principal Staff Officers. During the meeting, the corps commanders paid rich tributes to General Raheel Sharif for his leadership and professional acumen and lauded his services for the country.
General Raheel congratulated the Chief of Army Staff-designate on his elevation to the rank of General and his appointment as the CoAS. General Raheel Sharif said it was a matter of great pride for him to have commanded the most battle-hardened Army in the world for three years. He appreciated the corps commanders for their co-operation during his tenure and said the successes achieved during his tenure would not have been possible without contribution by each one of them.
A formal Change of Command Ceremony will be held today. Meanwhile, Chief of the Army Staff General Raheel Sharif made a farewell call on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the Prime Minister's House here on Monday. During the meeting which was held in a very cordial atmosphere, the Prime Minister lauded the dedicated, meritorious and exemplary services of General Raheel Sharif for Pakistan and its armed forces. He said General Raheel Sharif proved beyond a shadow of doubt that he was one of the finest military leaders of his generation.
The Prime Minister said this sense of duty and unconditional dedication and commitment to our motherland had also been evident in the person and career of General Raheel. He said that in the last three years, the CoAS made immense contributions against the menace of terrorism and he also made highly valuable contributions towards restoring peace in Karachi and Balochistan. He said it was under General Raheel's leadership that Pakistan's armed forces confronted not only external threats but also the menace of terrorism. As a result, the writ of the government was established in FATA and people in Karachi were feeling safe and secure. The Prime Minister expressed good wishes for General Raheel Sharif and said he would continue consulting him on the issues of national importance.