Tag: Asif Ghafoor

  • Former DG ISPR Asif Ghafoor appointed Commander XII Corps Quetta

    Former DG ISPR Asif Ghafoor appointed Commander XII Corps Quetta

    Lieutenant General (Lt Gen) Asif Ghafoor has been appointed as the Commander XII Corps (Quetta). Ghafoor replaced Lt Gen Sarfraz Ali, who was martyred in a helicopter crash in Balochistan earlier this week.

    Lt Gen Ghafoor was currently serving as the General Officer Commanding Okara. He previously served as the Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) from 2016 to 2020.

    The military’s media affairs wing, ISPR, said in a statement: “In his new role, he is replacing Lieutenant General Sarfraz Ali, who embraced shahadat (martyrdom) in a helicopter crash due to bad weather during flood relief operations in Lasbela, Balochistan, on 1 August 2022 (Monday).”

    A Pakistan Army aviation helicopter on a flood relief operation in Lasbela, Balochistan, went missing on Monday (August 1) at 5:30pm when it lost contact with air traffic control (ATC). On August 2, a Pakistan Army aviation helicopter that went missing in Balochistan was found and all six Pakistan Army personnel on board embraced martyrdom.

    Lieutenant General Sarfraz Ali was supervising the flood relief operations in Balochistan when the helicopter crashed.

     

  • Humayun Saeed, Akcent congratulate Asif Ghafoor on promotion

    Humayun Saeed, Akcent and Aijaz Aslam among other celebrities have congratulated former DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor on his promotion from Major General to Lieutenant General.

    “Congratulations to you my friend for being promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General.” wrote Akcent’s Adrian Sina on social media.

    “I can’t wait to have the fantastic cup of tea again,” added the lead singer of the Romanian pop band.

    Sina had visited and met with General Ghafoor last year after his concert in Lahore and had a “fantastic cup of tea” with him at the ISPR Headquarters.

    Humayun Saeed wished him all the best for his future endeavours.

    Aijaz Aslam and Fahad Mustafa also extended their regards.

    On Wednesday, six major generals were promoted to the rank of lieutenant general.

    In a tweet, the military’s media wing said those promoted included Maj Gen Akhtar Nawaz , Maj Gen Sardar Hassan Azhar Hayat, Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, Maj Gen Salman Fayyaz Ghani, Maj Gen Sarfraz Ali and Maj Gen Muhammad Ali.

    Asif Ghafoor, who is among the most prominent recipients of the promotion, has previously served as the ISPR director-general. He was appointed to the post in December 2016, replacing Lt Gen Asim Bajwa as the military’s spokesperson. Gen Ghafoor has now been posted as Inspector General Communication and Information Technology.

  • Asif Ghafoor among six major generals promoted to rank of lieutenant general

    Asif Ghafoor among six major generals promoted to rank of lieutenant general

    Six major generals have been promoted to the rank of lieutenant general, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has announced.

    In a tweet, the military’s media wing said those promoted included Maj Gen Akhtar Nawaz , Maj Gen Sardar Hassan Azhar Hayat, Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, Maj Gen Salman Fayyaz Ghani, Maj Gen Sarfraz Ali and Maj Gen Muhammad Ali.

    Asif Ghafoor, who is among the most prominent recipients of the promotion, has previously served as the ISPR director general. He was appointed to the post in December 2016, replacing Lt Gen Asim Bajwa as the military’s spokesperson.

    Reacting to the news, Federal Minster for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry said it was an hounour to serve in the highest ranks of the army.

    “Serving in the highest ranks of #PakArmy is an honour. Many congratulations to all very well deserved officers for the honours bestowed upon them and best wishes,” he tweeted.

  • DG ISPR Gen Asif Ghafoor praises Deepika for being ‘a brave person’

    DG ISPR Gen Asif Ghafoor praises Deepika for being ‘a brave person’

    DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor praised #DeepikaPadukone for being a brave person and “standing both with youth and the truth.”

    However, later he deleted his tweet for reasons unknown.

    Deepika won the appreciation of the public after she visited Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to stand in solidarity with the students who were protesting after masked assailants wielding batons and iron rods attacked the university leaving more than two dozen injured.

    According to an Indian journalist, the masked mob was linked to a BJP linked student group. They barged into hostel rooms and assaulted left-wing students and also beat up visually impaired people. There were reports that they were carrying acid as well.

    Deepika’s presence at the protest signifies that she is most likely standing with them in protest of these BJP-linked attacks and not the tuition fees hike protests that had been happening at the university earlier. The hostel fee hike is an ongoing issue and protests were held against it previously.

    Read more: ‘Mad respect’ for Deepika Padukone after she stands in solidarity with JNU students attacked by BJP supporters

    Previously, in a media interaction when asked about the ongoing protests, Deepika had said that she is proud that the students are not scared of expressing themselves.

    “I feel proud about it that people are coming out – be it on the streets or wherever they are – they are raising their voice and expressing themselves as it is important. If we want to see change in life and society, it is important that a point of view be put forward,” Deepika had said.

    Meanwhile, several other Bollywood personalities including Vishal Bharadwaj, Anurag Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar, Dia Mirza, Rahul Bose, Richa Chadha and Taapsee Pannu led hundreds of people in a peaceful protest against the violence.

  • ‘Pakistan has got its act together’: Indian cybersecurity praises DG ISPR Gen Asif Ghafoor

    ‘Pakistan has got its act together’: Indian cybersecurity praises DG ISPR Gen Asif Ghafoor

    India’s cybersecurity chief on Saturday stressed the need for a unified public relations command for the three wings of the armed forces to ensure an upper hand in the narrative warfare with Pakistan, which, he opined, has “got its act together” through its Director General Inter Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor.

    According to a report in India Today, National Cyber Security Coordinator Lieutenant General Rajesh Pant (retd) while speaking at a seminar said the three wings of the armed forces have their own public relations officers and “they are going in different ways”.

    “When are we going to have our own equivalent of the DGISPR,” he is reported to have said, adding, “The (Indian armed forces) services have their own PRs and they are going in different ways.”

    Pant remarked that Pakistan has got “its act together” in narrative warfare because of DG ISPR.

    Elaborating further Pant said, “When they (DGISPR) conduct narrative warfare, let’s say in the case of Kashmir, the message they send to Europe is that human rights are being infringed. When they engage with Islamic nations they tell them that Islam is under threat. And what they told Southeast Asia is that there is a regional instability.”

    “So, they seem to have got their act together,” he concluded.

    Meanwhile, General Asif Ghafoor also took to social media to share his reaction.

  • ‘Only a Bollywood dream’: DG ISPR Gen Asif Ghafoor slams Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film on Balakot ‘airstrike’

    ‘Only a Bollywood dream’: DG ISPR Gen Asif Ghafoor slams Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film on Balakot ‘airstrike’

    Not like we didn’t see this coming, but award-winning filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Bushan Kumar have announced a film on the Balakot ‘airstrike’.

    According to details, the film will be written and directed by Abhishek Kapoor. The cast has not yet been announced.

    https://twitter.com/itsBhushanKumar/status/1205365844458360832?s=20

    DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor had a few thoughts on the matter which he voiced on Twitter.

    Previously, Vivek Oberoi had also announced a film on IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.

    “As a proud Indian, a patriot, and a member of the film fraternity, it’s my duty to highlight what our Armed Forces are truly capable of. In the form of a trilingual, this film is a powerful tool to underline the achievements of brave officers like Wing Commander Abhinandan, who went behind the enemy lines and did what makes every Indian proud of them,” Vivek had said while announcing the film, which is expected to release in 2020. It will be shot in the backdrop of Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Agra.

    BALAKOT INCIDENT

    Following the Pulwama incident in which 44 Indian paramilitary soldiers lost their lives, two Indian aircraft entered Pakistani air space on February 27, 2019 for the second time in two days, engaged with Pakistan Air Force (PAF), and as a result, were shot down.

    The wreckage of one of the planes landed in Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK), and the wreckage of the other plane landed in the Indian-occupied Kasmir (IoK), Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) had confirmed at the time.

    Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was held captive following the aerial dogfight, was handed over to India on March 1 in a peace gesture after PM Imran had announced to release him in an attempt to “de-escalate tensions” between the two countries.

  • Akcent’s lead vocalist had a ‘fantastic’ cup of tea with DG ISPR Gen Asif Ghafoor

    Akcent’s lead vocalist had a ‘fantastic’ cup of tea with DG ISPR Gen Asif Ghafoor

    Romanian pop band Akcent’s lead singer Adrian Sina, after his concert at the Alhamra Cultural Complex in Lahore, paid a visit to the ISPR Headquarters where he had a “fantastic cup of tea” with DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor.

    Taking to Twitter, the singer shared a short video of himself with Gen Ghafoor in which he says, “I am so happy that I had a chance to travel from Romania to Pakistan to meet General Asif Ghafoor and ISPR.”

    Sipping on his tea, he added, “I discovered, once again, that Pakistani tea is fantastic.”

    The Director-General of the ISPR had invited the band to have tea at his office when they announced their visit back in October.

    Meanwhile, Akcent’s concert in Lahore on Sunday was embroiled in controversy. The pop band was initially scheduled to perform at Governor House to ‘express solidarity with the Kashmiris’.

    However, the event drew ire on social media with users questioning the logic behind holding a concert to raise voice for Kashmir. Following the backlash, the Punjab government, including Governor Chaudhry Sarwar and Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, withdrew its support and logistics. The government also did not allow the organisers to provide Kashmir flags to the concert participants. All flexes referring to the oppression of Kashmiris were also pulled down.

    Since the Romanian band was invited and payments were made, it performed at the Alhamra Cultural Complex before a large crowed but without any gesture for held Kashmir – it was held as a music concert without any political or diplomatic agenda.

    Akcent performing at Alhamra

    The development upset many including Sina, who was reportedly disappointed that he could not speak a word about the Kashmiris. Sina’s press conference, which was scheduled at the Governor House, was also reportedly cancelled.

    Chief Minister’s Taskforce on Women Development chairperson Tanzila Imran Khan, the host of the event, also expressed her disappointed saying that she herself had contacted the band’s lead and made payments from her own pockets to raise voice for the Kashmiris.

  • Koyi Shak, asks D.G. ISPR after report uncovers fake media outlets run by India

    EU Disinfo Lab, an independent non-governmental organization, has found that there are at least 265 “coordinated fake local media outlets” that were “designed to influence the EU (European Union) and the UN (United Nations) by repeatedly criticising Pakistan”.

    The report shows how the NGO investigated and found that Indian stakeholders are deliberately trying to influence countries against Pakistan by getting stories posted on sites like eptoday.com, which is “the website of a self-proclaimed magazine for the European Parliament in Brussels”. After investigating the site and the increasing anti Pakistan articles and op-eds, the Disinfo Lab found a pattern that matched 265 fake local media outlets, including timesofgeneva.com, “an online “newspaper” that is “approaching 35 years in business”. Strangely enough, Times of Geneva publishes the same type of content as EP Today and produces videos covering events and demonstrations criticising Pakistan’s role in the Kashmir conflict.”

    After the report was published, D.G. ISPR tweeted that koyi shak (any doubt), hinting that there was zero doubt that India is trying to influence the world against Pakistan by publishing fake news.

    RELATED: DG ISPR defends Neelum Muneer’s item song in ‘Kaaf Kangana’

    Other findings from the report include that most of the fake outlets are named after an outdated newspaper or are fake versions of real media outlets. They also republish content from agencies and have little original content. It also showed that the coverage was mostly of the same Indian-related demonstrations and events and also republications of the same anti-Pakistan content.

  • The Current Exclusive: Pictures of D.G. ISPR and Zoro

    The Current Exclusive: Pictures of D.G. ISPR and Zoro

    The star of HUM TV and ISPR’s joint project, Ehd-e-Wafa is undoubtedly Director General of the Inter Services Public Relations, Major General Asif Ghafoor’s dog, Zoro.

    Not only did Zoro steal the show, but after The Current broke the news that he wasn’t just anyone’s dog, his pictures have gone viral.

    Here are a few exclusive pictures of Zoro that are too cute to handle.

    A pedigreed Thai Golden retriever, Zoro has more than 10.3K followers on Instagram

    After Zoro’s television debut, his followers on Instagram doubled and he now has 10.3K followers.

    A Champion, Zoro has taken part in dog competitions

    According to Zoro’s Instagram (@zoro_retriever) he has taken part in dog competitions in Islamabad and has taken home the prize.

    Exclusive picture of DG ISPR with Zoro

    D.G. ISPR Asif Ghafoor is also lucky enough to be the only person Zoro is following on Instagram, along with the official account of Ehd-e-Wafa.

    Zoro’s portrait photograph

    Zoro doesn’t have a Facebook page and everyone seems to be waiting for his YouTube channel to launch. But one things for sure: we are going to get to see a lot more of this beautiful dog on social media – and the silver screen.

    If you missed The Current’s exclusive video revealing the identity of Zoro, watch it here:

  • What’s the importance of the leaf behind D.G. ISPR?

    What’s the importance of the leaf behind D.G. ISPR?

    Military Spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor did a briefing yesterday, updating the press of Pakistan’s fight for Kashmir’s rights. He spoke about how Kashmir was Pakistan’s “jugular vein” and how Pakistan would protect it at all costs. He also warned India of any “misadventure” and said that “nuclear countries do not go to war”. During his briefing, the background was of a green leaf.

    D.G. ISPR Asif Ghafoor’s press briefing

    The leaf is a chinar tree leaf and symbolizes Kashmir. The chinar tree is largely found in Kashmir or European countries and it is largely believed that the Mughal Emperor Akbar planted chinars in the Kashmir valley.

    A large chinar tree

    1,200 saplings of chinar were planted at the same time in a ‘Char Chinar’ pattern, which is four chinar trees planted in four corners of a piece of land.

    Chinar leaf in autumn

    The Char Chinar pattern creates overarching shade so a person standing in any part of the area would have shade during the whole day.

    Chinar trees in autumn in Srinagar

    For Indians, visiting Srinagar in autumn, is an attractive holiday since the chinar leaves turn golden before they fall.