General Zubair Mahmood Hayat takes charge as CJCSC

RAWALPINDI - General Zubair Mehmood Hayat has taken charge of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) from the outgoing General Rashad Mehmood here on Monday (today).

The prestigious change of commands ceremony took place at Joint Staff HQ Rawalpindi where Gen Hayat was presented guard of honour by a contingent of tri-service. The ceremony was attended by Gen Rahel Sharif as well as Gen Qamar Bajwa, the next military head.

Gen Hayat was appointed as 17th CJCSC by Prime Minister on Saturday as Gen Rashid Mehmood is completing his term today.

Gen Zubair, belonging to Artillery Division has been the Chief of General Staff. He functioned on pivotal posts including Corps Commander Bahawalpur and Director General Strategic Plans Division before assuming his present office.

He was also Principal Staff Officer with former Army Chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani as a Brigadier. His retirement is due in January 2017. In the past, he has also served as DG Strategic Planning Division, GOC Sialkot and Staff Division Directorate.

On the other hand, Gen Qamar Bajwa would take oath as Chief of Army Staff on Tuesday.

Gen Bajwa has commanded the 10 Corps, the army’s largest, which is responsible for the area along the Line of Control (LoC).

Gen Bajwa has extensive experience of handling affairs in Kashmir and the northern areas of the country. As a major general, he led the Force Command Northern Areas. He also served in the 10 Corps as a lieutenant colonel, where he was GSO.

Despite his extensive involvement with Kashmir and northern areas, he is said to consider extremism a bigger threat for the country than India.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8hsAjStDMc

Gen Bajwa has served with a UN mission in Congo as a brigade commander alongside former Indian army chief Gen Bikram Singh, who was also there as a division commander.

He has previously remained the commandant of the Infantry School in Quetta.