Pak appoints Maj Gen Iftikhar as new military spokesman

Pakistan on Thursday appointed Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar as the new military spokesman replacing incumbent Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, who has been posted as the General Officer Commanding Okara in Punjab province, bordering India.

Maj Gen Iftikhar will be the Director General of the military's media wing - the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

The announcement came after Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa called on Prime Minister Imran Khan, DawnNewsTV reported, citing sources.

During the meeting, professional matters relating to the military were discussed, it said.

Ghafoor was appointed as DG ISPR in December 2016. His three-year tenure ended last month.

He has been posted as the general officer commanding of the army's 40th Infantry Division Okara in Punjab. He has commanded an artillery brigade at the Line of Control, infantry brigade on the eastern border and a division at Swat, Malakand.

Ghafoor posted a farewell message on Twitter, thanking the public and the media for their support during his stint as army spokesman.

During his stint as the DG ISPR, Ghafoor was very active on the social media and on several occasions he tweeted controversial posts and fake news.

Early this month, Ghafoor praised Bollywood star Deepika Padukone as a "brave person" for standing with the protestors at the JNU, but soon deleted the tweet.

Maj Gen Iftikhar was commanding an Armoured Division before being appointed as DG ISPR. He is a graduate of the Command and Staff College Quetta, National Defence University Islamabad and Royal Command and Staff College Jordan.