RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Army on Tuesday appointed its first female Lieutenant General after promoting Nigar Johar to the rank.
According to a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Nigar Johar also holds the accolade for becoming the first Surgeon General of the Pakistan Army. She hails from the Panj Pir area of Swabi district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Major General Nigar Johar, HI (M) promoted as Lieutenant General.
She is the 1st female officer to be promoted as Lieutenant General. The officer has been appointed as 1st female Surgeon General of Pak Army. Lieutenant General Nigar Johar hails from Panjpeer, District Swabi KPK. pic.twitter.com/ytw8YvSz76— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) June 30, 2020
In 2017, Nigar became the third woman officer to reach the rank of major general.
Lt Gen Johar belongs to the Army Medical Corps and is the niece of Major (R) Mohammad Aamir, a former Pakistan Army officer who served in the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Lt Gen Nigar Johar’s father Colonel Qadir also served in the ISI. He and his wife were killed in a road accident about 30 years ago.
Swabi has produced a number of male generals, but this is the first time that a woman reaching this army rank also belongs to this district.
On June 18, 2019, Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari had called Major General Nigar Johar Khan a symbol of women empowerment.
on a social media website Twitter, Mazari had shared a picture of Maj Gen Nigar Khan, adding the caption: “Respect. #womenempowerment”.
Major General Nigar Johar Khan – 3rd woman to get rank of Major General in Pak army – Respect. #womenempowerment pic.twitter.com/IMI8yhZado
— Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) June 18, 2019
