Shahid Aziz
| Shahid Aziz | |
|---|---|
| Allegiance |
 Pakistan |
| Service/branch |
 Pakistan Army |
| Years of service | 1969-2005 |
| Rank |
 Lieutenant-General |
| Commands held |
12th Infantry Division Chief of General Staff (CGS) IV Corps, Lahore |
| Battles/wars |
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 Indo-Pakistani War of 1999 Pakistan martial law of 1999 2001 India-Pakistan standoff |
Shahid Aziz (Urdu: شاہد عزیز), is a Pakistani military author, intelligence writer, and retired three-star ranking general officer of the Pakistan Army. His military assignments included as the Chief of General Staff (CGS) from October 2001 to December 2003 and Commander of the IV Corps in Lahore from December 2003 to October 2005. After retiring from the military, he was appointed Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau, a post he left in May 2007 albeit amid controversy.[1][2][3][4]
Military career
Shahid Aziz graduated from Pakistan Military Academy in April 1971 as the Battalion Senior Under Officer and received the coveted Sword of Honour as well as the Presidents Gold Medal for his outstanding performance.[5][6] He was commissioned in the 10 Battalion of the Baloch Regiment with which he actively participated the 1971 Indo-Pak war and later on also commanded. He attended the Company Commanded Course at Fort Benning, Georgia (USA) and the Command and General Staff Course at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas (USA). Shahid Aziz is also a graduate of National Defence University, Pakistan. His military career has placed him in pivotal posts during critical periods in Pakistan. He served as the General Officer Commanding of the 12th Infantry Division stationed at Murree. During the Kargil conflict of 1999, he served as DG of the ISI's Analysis Wing. That same year, he was appointed to the role of Director General Military Operations where he played a crucial role in the coup that brought Pervez Musharraf to power. After the events of 9/11, he was serving as General Officer Commanding 12 Division when the US deployed its forces to Afghanistan. Later that year he was appointment as Chief of General Staff at GHQ. He finally retired from the army in 2005 after having held the post of Lahore Corps Commander for two years during which time he also launched a massive inquiry against corruption in Defence Housing Authority, Lahore.
Post-retirement
Lt. Gen. (retired) Shahid Aziz, who recently created ripples by acknowledging in an article[7] that regular troops were involved in the Kargil operation, said the "misadventure" was a "four-man show" and details were initially hidden from the rest of the military commanders. He published a book "Yeh Khamoshi Kahan Tak? Aik Sipahi ki Dastan-e-Ishq o Junoon”(English: How Long Will You Remain Silent? A Soldier’s Saga of Love and Passion).[8][9] General Musharraf, who served as the Chief of Army Staff during Kargil War, has refuted Lt. Gen. Aziz's claims in his book and referred to him as "unbalanced" during and interview when questioned about what had been claimed by Gen Shahid in his book.[10] However, the military achievements and posts on which Lt. Gen. (retired) Shahid Aziz has served are sufficient to deny what has been stated against him by the ex-president, who himself has been under numerous legal investigations.[11][12][13][14] Shahid Aziz resigned from the Chairmanship of NAB on moral principles when requested to shut down all cases of Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari amid back channel negotiations between Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto prior to passing of the National Reconciliation Ordinance.[15][16]
In an answer to a question about his role in the coup by General Musharraf in violation of the law, Lt. Gen. Aziz said that he believed the constitution is a "rotten product."[17] Upon feeling threatened due to possibility of a NAB inquiry against himself, Malik Riaz, the corrupt real estate developer falsely accused the General for abusing his authority to gain financial benefits for himself and his son-in-law while serving as Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau.[18][19] No formal inquiries were launched by government authorities against the General due to his already known moral uprightness as well as the reputation of the real estate developer.[20][21]
Lt. Gen. Aziz is married and father of four children.
References
- ↑ Raza, Syed Irfan (26 November 2009). "'Former NAB chief removed to protect top politicians'". Dawn News. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
- ↑ Kiani, Khaleeq (6 December 2009). "Musharraf stopped probes, says ex-chief of NAB". Dawn News. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
- ↑ "Lt. Gen. Shahid Aziz". The Insider Brief. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
- ↑ Iqbal, Nadeem (22 July 2007). "Appointment: A new civilian face". The News International. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
- ↑ Khan, Basit. "Yeh Khamoshi Kahan Tak Pdf Book by Shahid Aziz Free Download". Kutubistan. Retrieved 2016-05-17.
- ↑ "Sword of Honour Winners, PMA, Kakul, Abbotabad". Native Pakistan. 2013-12-12. Retrieved 2016-05-17.
- ↑ Aziz, Shahid (6 January 2013). "Putting our children in line of fire". The Nation. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
- ↑ Waqas, Naeem (17 February 2013). "Book launch: When self-deception melts away". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
- ↑ Aziz, Shahid (2013). Yeh Khamoshi Kahan Tak. Islamabad: Seven Springs Publishers. p. 463.
- ↑ "Exclusive interview: Musharraf hits back at Shahid Aziz". Retrieved 13 December 2014.
- ↑ "Only Musharraf be tried for treason, SC rules". Retrieved 2016-05-17.
- ↑ "Pakistani court acquits ex-President Musharraf of murder over a 2006 killing of separatist leader in Baluchistan province". US News & World Report. Retrieved 2016-05-17.
- ↑ "Pakistani court acquits ex-President Musharraf of murder over a 2006 killing of separatist leader in Baluchistan province". US News & World Report. Retrieved 2016-05-17.
- ↑ "Islamabad court declares Pervez Musharraf an absconder | Tehelka - Investigations, Latest News, Politics, Analysis, Blogs, Culture, Photos, Videos, Podcasts". Tehelka - Investigations, Latest News, Politics, Analysis, Blogs, Culture, Photos, Videos, Podcasts. Retrieved 2016-05-17.
- ↑ "NAB Chairman Resigns". Arab News. 2007-05-09. Retrieved 2016-05-17.
- ↑ "Musharraf stopped probes, says ex-chief of NAB". www.dawn.com. 2009-12-06. Retrieved 2016-05-17.
- ↑ "Interview of Lt. Gen (retired) Shahid Aziz".
- ↑ "Former Chairman NAB being investigated for illegal use of his authority".
- ↑ "One More Multifaceted Fraud: Lt . General (R) Shahid Aziz - EX-Chairman NAB.".
- ↑ Iqbal, Nasir (2015-09-05). "Probe ordered against ex-NAB chief for 'favouring' property tycoon Malik Riaz". www.dawn.com. Retrieved 2016-05-17.
- ↑ "Zulfiqar Mirza Exposed Malik Riaz and Zardari corruption in Bahria Town". 2015.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Yusaf Khan |
Chief of General Staff 2001 – 2003 |
Succeeded by Tariq Majid |
| Preceded by Zarrar Azim |
Lahore Corps Commander 2003 – 2005 |
Succeeded by Shafaat Ullah Shah |
