Mangla Corps Commander, next in line to COAS, forced to retire for opposing General Asim Munir

Lieutenant General Ayman Bilal Safdar Warraich, in line to be the next army chief, has unexpectedly retired. Reports suggest he was mandatorily retired and called to headquarters on April 4th. He left his post without ceremony and reportedly travelled to Saudi Arabia.

The crucial Mangla Corps command position remains unfilled. The reasons for his departure are unclear. Some reports claim disagreements with the current army chief on policy and the military’s political involvement. Others allege unauthorised spending during his tenure.

The delay in appointing a replacement suggests ongoing tensions among senior generals.

Though there is no official confirmation, reports have it that Lieutenant General Safdar, Corps Commander, Mangla, was compulsorily retired and asked to report to General Headquarters (GHQ) on April 4. He left his command on April 2 without any farewells and reportedly left for Umrah in Saudi Arabia.

No replacement has been announced for this vital offensive command slot of the Pakistan army so far.

Lieutenant General Safdar belongs to the 118 Medium Artillery Regiment. He graduated from the 80th Pakistan Military Academy course.

He was promoted to three-star rank in October 2022 along with 11 of his peers, in one of the last reshuffles occurring during the tenure of then army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

Lieutenant General Safdar had previously served as director general, Perspective Planning at GHQ, where he handled Financial Action Task Force (FATF) issues. He served also as inspector general, Frontier Corps (South) Balochistan and in infantry division commands at Kharian and Sialkot (8 Division).

He completed a stint at the National Defence University, Rawalpindi, as chief instructor.

There are various theories about his abrupt resignation or dismissal. General Safdar reportedly opposed General Asim Munir on policy matters and had expressed reservations about the army’s role in politics and the February election results. He has also been accused of alleged extravagant and unauthorised expenditure incurred in the construction of a new residential premise for the corps commander during his tenure.

Delay in filling up the Mangla post would suggest that General Asim Munir has still not been able to fully contain simmering differences among three-star generals in the Pakistan army.

April 17, 2024

Sources: various social media sites,

By Editor

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