General Zubair Mahmood Hayat takes over as CJCSC
RAWALPINDI: General Zubair Mehmood Hayat took charge of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) on Monday from the outgoing General Rashad Mehmood at an impressive change of command ceremony at the JS Headquarters.
A guard of honour was presented to Gen Hayat, who has assumed the role of the country’s 17th CJCSC. The ceremony was attended by outgoing army chief Gen Raheel Sharif alongside other chiefs of staff. Incoming army chief Gen Qamar Javad Bajwa, who is set to assume his new role on Tuesday, was also present at the ceremony.
Elevated from the Chief of General Staff (CGS) from three-star to four-star General Zubair Hayat has rich experience required for the coveted office.
General Rashad was also the CGS when he was promoted and appointed as Chairman CJCSC. The same happened with General Hayat when he was elevated to a 4-star General being atop the seniority list of three-star generals.
The trend shows that the office of Chairman JCSC has now been allocated to the senior most military office after every three years. The basis of the decision to appoint a senior military officer as Chairman JCSC was firstly because of numerical strength of the Army which makes almost 80 percent of three services. The office of Chairman JCSC is very important because since the establishment of the NCA, the army controls the key areas of nuclear command and strategic assets.
The Change of Command ceremony for Chief of Army Staff will take place at GHQ in Rawalpindi today. Outgoing Army Chief General Raheel Sharif will hand over the command stick to the newly appointed Army Chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, at the ceremony.
Federal Ministers, former services chiefs, senior army officers, and dignitaries will attend the ceremony. The newly appointed Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Zubair Mahmood Hayat and the outgoing CJCSC General Rashad Mahmood will also participate in the ceremony. INP/News Desk
