Kayani spends last day as army chief

RAWALPINDI: General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani is spending his last day as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) before his successor General Raheel Sharif assumes charge on Friday.

General Kayani’s farewell corps commanders meeting was held at GHQ and was attended by General Sharif and CJCSC General Rashad Mahmood. During the meeting, the corps commanders paid tributes to General Kayani and lauded his services to the country. General Kayani said it was a great matter of pride to have commanded the Pakistan Army for six years. He also appreciated the corps commanders for their cooperation during his tenure.

General Kayani is expected to meet Prime Minister Sharif later on Thursday. The outgoing Army Chief was honoured at a farewell dinner hosted by Prime Minister Sharif on Wednesday. “General Kayani played a commendable role towards strengthening the country’s defence and stability of the democratic set-up,” Nawaz Sharif said.

Taciturn general General Kayani, who led the army for six years, started his career from Pakistan Military Academy Kakul, where he took oath of defending the motherland.

He was recruited as second lieutenant in 1971 in Baloch regiment and also fought 1971 war. Chain-smoking Kayani became Director General Military Operations in 2000. Kayni also commanded Rawalpindi Corps and the country’s principal spy service, the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). In 2007, he became chief of the army staff after Gen Musharraf resignation.