General Raheel Sharif

General Raheel Sharif
ISPR · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	Raheel Sharif
Native name	راحیل شریف
Birth date	16 June 1956
Birth place	Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan
Rank	General (Pakistan)
Serviceyears	1976–2016
Unit	4th Battalion, Frontier Force Regiment
Awards	Hilal-i-Imtiaz, Sitara-i-Imtiaz, Tamgha-e-Basalat

General Raheel Sharif Raheel Sharif is a retired Pakistan Army four-star officer who served as the 9th Chief of Army Staff from 2013 to 2016, noted for leadership during the War in North-West Pakistan, counterterrorism campaigns, and multilateral engagements with regional actors. He has been associated with initiatives involving the United States, China, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, India, and multinational security frameworks such as the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition.

Early life and education

Born in Quetta in Balochistan, Pakistan, he hails from a Punjabi family with familial ties to Lahore and the Sialkot District. He attended Cadet College Hasan Abdal before gaining commission from the Pakistan Military Academy at Kakul in the 1976 class. Further professional military education included courses at the Command and Staff College, Quetta, the National Defence University (Pakistan), and international attachments with institutions linked to the United States Army War College, British Army, and the Canadian Forces College.

Military career

Commissioned into the 4th Battalion, Frontier Force Regiment, he served in a range of command and staff appointments across formations including II Corps (Pakistan), X Corps (Pakistan), and XI Corps (Pakistan). His operational assignments involved deployments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and along the Pak-Afghan border, where he worked alongside units such as the Frontier Corps and Special Service Group (Pakistan). Staff roles included positions at the General Headquarters (Pakistan), directorates interacting with the Inter-Services Intelligence and the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. He commanded an infantry brigade, an infantry division, and the II Corps before elevation to higher command.

Tenure as Chief of Army Staff

As Chief of Army Staff, he succeeded Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and was succeeded by Qamar Javed Bajwa. His tenure saw coordination with civilian leadership including Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif, and engagements with presidents such as Mamnoon Hussain. Institutional priorities included building ties with the Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Air Force, and paramilitary forces like the Rangers and Civil Armed Forces. Policy interactions referenced national instruments such as the National Action Plan (Pakistan) and security dialogues with the Ministry of Defence (Pakistan) and the Ministry of Interior (Pakistan).

Counterterrorism operations and doctrine

He oversaw major operations including Operation Zarb-e-Azb and coordinated with provincial administrations in Sindh, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Counterterrorism doctrine emphasized coordination with law enforcement agencies such as the Federal Investigation Agency and local police, and cooperation with international partners like the United States Central Command, NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan, and intelligence services from United Kingdom, China, and Turkey. His approach involved partnerships with organizations such as the United Nations for countering violent extremism and frameworks referenced by the Financial Action Task Force regarding terrorism financing. He engaged with think tanks and academic institutions including the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Brookings Institution, and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on strategy and stabilization concepts.

International engagements and diplomacy

During his command he conducted bilateral and multilateral engagements with militaries and leaders from China People’s Liberation Army, United States Armed Forces, Russian Armed Forces, Turkish Armed Forces, Saudi Arabian National Guard, United Arab Emirates Armed Forces, Iranian Armed Forces, and nations participating in regional security dialogues like Central Asian Republics. He attended staff talks and joint exercises involving formations such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and participated in defense diplomacy with delegations from Japan, Germany, France, Egypt, Jordan, Malaysia, and Indonesia. His tenure included visits to international institutions including the United Nations Headquarters and defense industry events featuring companies such as Lockheed Martin, China North Industries Group Corporation, and BAE Systems.

Post-retirement activities and leadership roles

After retirement he was appointed the commander of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, engaging with member states including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Malaysia, and United Arab Emirates. He has been invited to speak at forums such as the Munich Security Conference, Aspen Security Forum, Chatham House, Centre for Strategic and International Studies, and regional summits of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. He also interacted with international NGOs and foundations like the International Committee of the Red Cross on humanitarian aspects related to counterterrorism and displacement.

Personal life and legacy

He is married and has children, and his public persona drew comparisons with predecessors and contemporaries such as Pervez Musharraf, Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, and Qamar Javed Bajwa for style and strategic orientation. His legacy is discussed in analyses by media outlets including Dawn (newspaper), The News International, BBC News, Al Jazeera, The New York Times, and policy studies from RAND Corporation and International Crisis Group. Awards during service included national decorations like the Hilal-i-Imtiaz and Sitara-i-Imtiaz, and he is sometimes referenced in biographies and military histories covering the War on Terror, the Afghan conflict, and South Asian security studies.

Category:Pakistani generals Category:1956 births Category:Living people