Asif Ghafoor

Asif Ghafoor HI(M) (Urdu: آصِف غفور ) is a retired three-star ranking general in the Pakistani Army,^[1] who most recently served as the president of the National Defence University uptill 2024. Previously, Ghafoor served as the Corps Commander Quetta and the 20th director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).^[2]

Lieutenant General Asif Ghafoor HI(M)
Asif Ghafoor as Major General
President National Defence University, Islamabad
In office 25 November 2023 – 22 December 2024
Preceded by	Lt General Rahat Naseem
Succeeded by	Lt General Babar Iftikhar
Corps Commander XII Corps
In office 4 August 2022 – 24 November 2023
Preceded by	Sarfraz Ali
Succeeded by	Rahat Naseem
Inspector General Communication & Information Technology
In office 28 November 2020 – 2 August 2022
General Officer Commanding 40th Infantry Division, Okara
In office 31 January 2020 – 28 November 2020
20th Director-General of the ISPR
In office 15 December 2016 – 31 January 2020
President	Mamnoon Hussain Arif Alvi
Prime Minister	Nawaz Sharif Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Imran Khan
Preceded by	Asim Saleem Bajwa
Succeeded by	Babar Iftikhar
General Officer Commanding 21st Artillery Division, Swat
In office February 2016 – 15 December 2016
Personal details
Alma mater	Pakistan Military Academy, Command & Staff College Quetta, Command & Staff College Bandung (Indonesia), National Defence University, Islamabad
Awards	Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military)
Military service
Allegiance	Pakistan
Branch/service	Pakistan Army
Years of service	1988–2024
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands	21 Artillery Division Director General ISPR 40 Infantry Division IG Communication and Information Technology Commander XII Corps President National Defence University
Battles/wars	Kargil War War in North-West Pakistan Operation Sherdil Operation Zarb-e-Azb Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad Insurgency in Balochistan 2019 India–Pakistan border skirmishes
Service number	PA-27699

Education

Asif Ghafoor is a graduate of the Command & Staff College in Quetta, Command & Staff College Bandung in Indonesia and the National Defence University in Islamabad.^[3] He holds a master's degree in Strategic Studies.

Military life

He was commissioned on 9 September 1988 in the 87 SP Medium Regiment Artillery from PMA Kakul. He had participated in the Kargil War as a Major, operations against terrorists in tribal areas of FATA and Swat during 2008–10 as a Lieutenant Colonel in Operation Sherdil and has commanded a Division at Swat, Malakand in 2016 as a Major General. Asif has also served as Director Military Operations at Army Headquarters GHQ as a Brigadier commanded Divisional Artillery deployed along the Line of Control and infantry brigade along eastern border. He has been on faculty of Command and Staff College Quetta.

The General has served on various staff, instructional and command assignments including Brigade Major Infantry Brigade, Assistant Military Secretary MS Branch, GSO-I Military Operations Directorate, GHQ, Director Military Operations in Military Operations Directorate, GHQ. He has been on the faculty of Command and Staff College, Quetta. He has commanded his parent unit in Operation al-Mizan, Artillery Brigade on Line of Control, Infantry Brigade on Eastern Border and a Division at Swat, Malakand.^[4][5][6] The General is recipient of COAS Commendation Card^[7] for operations in Bajaur during 2008 and Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military).

In December 2016, Ghafoor was appointed as the Director-General of the ISPR.^[8] While serving as DG ISPR, he faced criticism for maintaining a personal Twitter account and engaging in disputes with journalists and individuals who criticized Pakistan's military.^[9]

In January 2020, Gen. Ghafoor was appointed as the General Officer Commanding 40 Division in Okara.^[10][11][9] On 25 November 2020, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General^[12] and appointed as Inspector General Communications and Information Technology till August 2022. In August 2022, Asif Ghafoor was appointed Quetta Corps Commander after the death of Lt General Sarfraz Ali in an air crash and continued to held command till November 2023.^[13]

He was appointed as the President National Defence University Islamabad in November 2023 and continued to serve in the capacity till his retirement in late December 2024.^[14]

Awards and decorations

	Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military) (Crescent of Excellence)
Tamgha-e-Diffa (General Service Medal) Siachen Glacier Clasp	Tamgha-e-Baqa (Nuclear Test Medal) 1998	Tamgha-e-Istaqlal Pakistan (Escalation with India Medal) 2002	Tamgha-e-Azm (Medal of Conviction) (2018)
10 Years Service Medal	20 Years Service Medal	30 Years Service Medal	35 Years Service Medal
Jamhuriat Tamgha (Democracy Medal) 1988	Qarardad-e-Pakistan Tamgha (Resolution Day Golden Jubilee Medal) 1990	Tamgha-e-Salgirah Pakistan (Independence Day Golden Jubilee Medal) 1997	Command and Staff College Quetta Centenary Instructor's Medal