The Office Of Chief Of Army Staff, The Supreme Leader Of The Armed Forces Of Pakistan, Is Considered An Honored And Influential Position In Pakistan. The Pakistan Army Chief Holds A Distinguished Might And Power Signified By The Repeated Periods Of Martial Law In The History Of Pakistan. Hence, The COAS Is The Most-Sought Figure By The People Of Pakistan, As People Look Up To Him In Times Of Crisis.
In The Past 72 Years Of Independence, Several Army Chiefs Of Distinct Backgrounds, Characteristics, Personas, And Political Outlooks Have Held The Reign Of The Armed Forces Of Pakistan. These Army Generals Have Actively Shaped And Altered The Political And Military Dynamics Of Pakistan.
- Ayub Khan Replaced Douglas Gracey, As The First Pakistani To Serve As Commander-In-Chief Of The Pakistan Army And Later Became The First Army General To Serve As The President Of Pakistan. He Was Just 43 When He Was Given The Task To Lead Pakistan’s Army And Was The First Army General To Impose The Country’s First Martial Law. After Becoming President, He Elevated Himself To The Post Of Field Marshal Rank And Occupied The Post Of Pakistan Army Chief For 7 Years. His Tenure Ended On October 27, 1958.
- Musa Khan Longest-Serving Army General To Hold The Post Of Commander-In-Chief, General Musa Khan Commanded The Pakistan Army For 8 Years Starting From October 27, 1958, To September 17, 1966. General Musa Was The Pakistan Army Chief During The 1965 Pakistan-India War.
- Yahya Khan General Yahya Khan Replaced Musa Khan As The Commander-In-Chief In 1966 And Remained In The Post For Five Years. He Became The President Of Pakistan From 1969 Until December 20, 1971. General Yahya Was The Last C-In-C Of A Unified Pakistan.
- Gul Hasan Khan Lieutenant General Gul Hasan Khan Was The First Army Chief Of West Pakistan After The Creation Of Bangladesh. He, However, Remained In His Post For A Brief Period From December 20, 1971, To March 2, 1972.
- Tikka Khan Was The First Chief Of Army Staff, Coming Into The Office On March 3, 1972, Until March 1, 1976. He Stayed In Office For 4 Years And Stepped Up To Lead The Pakistani Army At The Age Of 57 Years And Eight Months, Making Him The Third-Oldest Army General To Lead Pakistan Army.
- Muhammad Zia-Ul-Haq One Of The Most Popular Army Chiefs Of Pakistan, General Zia-Ul-Haq Became The Pakistan Army Chief On March 1, 1976, Following A Military Coup In 1977, Overthrowing Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, And Replacing Him As The Sixth President Of Pakistan.
- General Mirza Aslam Beg Was Appointed As The Next Chief Of Army Staff Following Zia’s Death In The Plane Crash. He Stayed In The Power In The Army For 3 Years And Retired On August 16, 1991.
- General Asif Nawaz Janjua Served The Pakistan Armed Forces For A Brief Period, For Nearly One And A Half Years. He Died Of A Heart Attack Under Mysterious Circumstances At The Age Of 56.
- General Abdul Waheed Kakar Replaced Asif Nawaz Janjua Following His Sudden Death. He Remained In Office For Three Years Before Retiring On January 12, 1996.
- Jehangir Karamat Assumed Charge Of COAS On January 12, 1996, And His Term Ended On October 6, 1998.
- General Pervez Musharraf Came Into Power After Imposing Martial Law, Overthrew The Government Of Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif In 1999, Stayed In Power For Nearly Nine Years, And Remained The President Of Pakistan From June 2001 To August 2008. The Then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Has Chosen Him Over General Ali Quli Khan And General Khalid Nawaz Khan.
- General Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani Succeeded General Pervez Musharraf And Remained In Power For Six Years After Securing An Extension Until 2013.
- General Raheel Sharif Served For Three Years And Is The Brother Of A Nishan-I-Haider Recipient, Major Shabbir Sharif. His Reign Ended In 2016.
- General Qamar Javed Bajwa The Current Serving Chief Of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa Assumed The Post In 2016 And Was To Retire In November 2019. After Being Given An Extension From Prime Minister Imran Khan, General Bajwa Is Expected To Lead The Armed Forces Of Pakistan Until 2022.