RAWALPINDI: Former Chief of Army Staff General (retd) Abdul Waheed Kakar, a recipient of the Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Military) and Hilal-i-Jurat, passed away in Rawalpindi on Monday. He was 89.
Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and all ranks of the Pakistan Army expressed grief over his death, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The military paid tribute to the late general’s distinguished career, leadership and services to the Pakistan Army. It also extended condolences to his family and prayed for the departed soul and strength for the bereaved.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed sorrow over Gen Kakar’s death. They offered condolences to his family and prayed for the departed soul.
Gen Kakar served as Pakistan’s fifth chief of army staff from January 1993 to January 1996. He was appointed to the post following the death of his predecessor, Gen Asif Nawaz.
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Born on March 23, 1937, Gen Kakar was commissioned into the Frontier Force Regiment and served in the 1965 and 1971 wars.
His tenure as army chief coincided with the 1993 constitutional crisis. He played a key role in efforts to resolve the standoff between then-president Ghulam Ishaq Khan and then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif, which ended with both leaders stepping down and paved the way for fresh elections.
Gen Kakar retired after completing his three-year term in January 1996 and subsequently led a quiet life away from public office.
