Pakistan Gets New Army Chief of Staff

Lt. General Raheel Sharif

Lt General Raheel Sharif, Pakistan's newly appointed chief of army staff, will take charge on Friday and is considered as a soldier's soldier by some for his family background and as a thinking soldier by others because of his emphasis on training and operational thought. He is said to be the man behind the doctrinal response of the Pakistan Army to the Indian Army cold start doctrine.

He will be the country's fifteenth army chief and comes from a decorated army family which includes an elder brother, Major Shabbir Sharif who was awarded a Nishan-e-Haider, Pakistan's highest military award for valour against Indian forces. Shabbir Sharif was earlier given the Sitara-e-Jurrat and that makes him Pakistan's highly decorated military officer. General Raheel's uncle was Major Aziz Bhatti, another receipant of the Nishan-e-Haider.