Asif Ghafoor HI(M) (Urdu: آصِف غفور ) is a Lieutenant General in the Pakistan Army,[1] currently serving as the President of the National Defence University, Islamabad. Previously, he served as Corps Commander Quetta. Ghafoor has also served as the 20th Director General of the ISPR.[2]
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. He holds a master's degree in Strategic Studies.
He was commissioned on 9 September 1988 in the 87 SP Medium Regiment Artillery after four years of training (1984-1988) as a Cadet in the Junior Cadet Battalion at PMA Kakul (1986–88). 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.[3][4][5] The General is recipient of COAS Commendation Card[6] for operations in Bajaur during 2008 and Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military).
In December 2016, Ghafoor was appointed as the Director-General of the ISPR.[7] 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.[8]
In January 2020, Gen. Ghafoor was appointed as the General Officer Commanding 40 Division in Okara.[9][10][8] On 25 November 2020, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General[11] 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 a air crash and continued to held command till November 2023.[12]
The general currently serving as the President National Defence University Islamabad since November 2023.[13]