Asif Nawaz Janjua | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 4thChief of Army Staff | |
| In office 16 August 1991 – 8 January 1993 | |
| President | Ghulam Ishaq Khan |
| Prime Minister | Nawaz Sharif |
| Preceded by | Mirza Aslam Beg |
| Succeeded by | Abdul Waheed Kakar |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Asif Nawaz Janjua (1937-01-03)3 January 1937 |
| Died | 8 January 1993(1993-01-08) (aged 56) |
| Cause of death | Cardiac arrest |
| Relatives |
|
| Alma mater | |
| Nickname | Soldier's Soldier |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service |  Pakistan Army |
| Years of service | 1955–1993 |
| Rank |   General |
| Unit | 5thPunjab Regiment |
| Commands | Chief of General Staff (Pakistan) V Corps (Pakistan) CommandantPMA Kakul 7th Infantry Division (Pakistan) Chief of StaffII Corps (Pakistan) |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military) Hilal-i-Imtiaz(Military) Sitara-e-Basalat with BAR Sword of Honour |
GeneralAsif Nawaz Janjua[a] (3 January 1937 – 8 January 1993) was an officer in thePakistan Army, serving as its fourthChief of Army Staff from 16 August 1991 until his untimely death in 1993. His tenure is regarded as contributing tocivilian control over thePakistan Armed Forces. Janjua was one of only four high-ranking officers to have died in active service, alongside AdmiralHasan Hafeez Ahmed (1975), GeneralZia-ul-Haq (1988), and Air Chief MarshalMushaf Ali Mir (2002).
His unexpected death was initially surrounded by uncertainty, with some speculating foul play after high levels ofarsenic poisoning were detected in his body. His family requested for further investigation, including the exhumation of his body and an autopsy conducted with the assistance of international experts from France, Britain, and the United States. The cause of death was supposedly aheart attack. In April 1993, Janjua's widow Nuzhat, publicly alleged that her husband had been poisoned. She claimed that the assassins were Director GeneralIntelligence BureauBrigadier Imtiaz,Shahbaz Sharif, andChaudhary Nisar Ali Khan.
Born in theJhelum District ofPunjab Province, Janjua came from aPunjabiJanjua Rajput family. He was educated atSt Mary's Cambridge School and later received military training at thePakistan Military Academy and theRoyal Military Academy Sandhurst. Throughout his career, he was recognised for his discipline and leadership, culminating in the award of theSword of Honour at Sandhurst.
During his military career, Janjua participated in theIndo-Pakistani War of 1965 and theIndo-Pakistani War of 1971, where he was involved in key battles such as theBattle of Chamb. He progressed through the ranks, holding various significant positions, includingChief of General Staff andCorps Commander ofV Corps. He played a role in overseeing military operations, particularly in Karachi andSindh, during a period of rising instability in the country.
Asif Nawaz Janjua was born in a small village, calledChakri Rajgan, which is located in theJhelum District inPunjab in Pakistan into aPunjabiJanjua Rajput clan, on 31 January 1937.: 81 [2]: 441 [3]: 29 He was amilitary brat and his father, Raja Abdul Ghafoor Khan, had served as anofficer in theBritish Indian Army, retiring at the rank ofMajor.: 441 [4]
He was educated at theSt Mary's Cambridge School onMurree Road inRawalpindi. TwoIrish teachers there who taught him the value of life and humanity, Father Francis and May Flanagan, had a significant influence on his upbringing and future career.[5] After hismatriculation, he went to join thePakistan Military Academy in 1954, and was one of very few cadets to be selected to attend theRoyal Military Academy atSandhurst in the United Kingdom.: 2 [6] After completing his initial military training, hepassed out from the academy in 1957 and was conferred theSword of Honour by the academy's commandant.: 441 [3]
Upon returning to Pakistan,2nd-Lt. Janjua joined the5thSherdils Battalion of thePunjab Regiment on 31 March 1957.[7]
In 1965,Captain Nawaz saw action in thesecond war with India in 1965 on thenorthern front.: 2 [8] In 1971, Major Janjua fought in thethird war with India in 1971 after taking over the command of his5th Battalion and sawcombat in the Chamb sector against theIndian Army.: 441 [9]
After thethird war with India in 1971, Major Janjua continued hismilitary service and graduated from theCommand and Staff College inQuetta, where he excelled in his studies.: 441 [10] In 1976–77,Col. Janjua attended theNational Defence University where he attained hisMSc inWar Studies.: 441 [10]
In 1977,Brigadier Janjua was appointed asChief of Staff of theII Corps stationed inMultan under the command of its field commander,Lt-Gen.M. Shariff.: 441 [10] In 1982, he was promoted astwo-star rank army general, and escaped frommartial law appointments byPresidentZia-ul-Haq.: 81 [2] From 1982 to 1985,Major-General Janjua was posted inPeshawar and served as theGOC of the7th Infantry Division, posted with theXI Corps.: 81 [2]
In 1985,Maj-Gen. Janjua was appointed asCommandant of thePakistan Military Academy inKakul which he served until 1988.: 81 [2] In 1988, he was among the last army generals who were approved for thethree-star rank promotion byPrime MinisterMohammad Junejo, and was appointed as Corps Commander of the Sindh-basedV Corps by then-Chief of Army Staff Gen.Mirza Aslam Beg.: 81 [2]
When General Nawaz took command of his Corps in Karachi it had begun to be embroiled in operations againstMQM militants in the city. He would soon come to oversee law and order operations by his Corps in the disturbed city of Karachi. As V Corps was also responsible for security in all of Sindh, it had been embroiled in anti-dacoity and law and order operations in Sindh since the early 1980s. The province had destabilised in the wake of the anti-Zia-ul-HaqMovement for the Restoration of Democracy.
In April 1991,Lt-Gen. Janjua was moved toRawalpindi when he was appointed at theArmy GHQ as theChief of General Staff (CGS), thesecond-in-command of the army, under thearmy chief Gen.Mirza Aslam Beg.[11]
In 1991,Prime MinisterNawaz Sharif approved the timely retirement of Gen.Mirza Aslam Beg, and there were four senior army generals who were in the race for promotion tofour-star appointment in thePakistani military, included with seniority:
The senior most military officer in the military, Lt-Gen. Janjua's recommendation came from the formerChairman joint chiefs Gen.Rahimuddin Khan when the second most senior military officer, Lt-Gen.Shamim Alam was eventually elevated as theChairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.[13] Lt Gen. Janjua was confirmed to this four-star promotion byPresidentGhulam Ishaq Khan on 11 June 1991.[11][14]
His command over the army came when themilitary embargo had been placed by the United States due to the suspicion about his country'sclandestine atomic bomb program.[15] Gen. Janjua immediately made a press release through theISPR where he committed to preventingmilitary interference innational politics when he noted that the "army's image had been tarnished and its officers corrupted inPakistan's 25 years of martial law."[15] Gen. Janjua, who had pro-western views, worked together withChairman joint chiefsGen. Shamim and hisJS HQ to improvebilateral relations between Pakistan and the United States when he agreed todeploy the combat brigades of thePakistan Army inSomalia as part of theUN Mission to end thecivil war in the country.[15]
His political views reflected politicalliberalism and he tried to improve themilitary-to-military relations with theIndian Army when he successfully took Pakistan out of what he saw as the dead-endpolicy of Islamism by former conservativePresident Zia.[11] During Nawaz's tenure, the army took on the surprising role of becoming a protector of a free press and the liberal values of criticism.[11]
As an army chief, Gen. Janjua played a crucial role in providingmilitary aid to the civilianGovernment of Pakistan when he deployed thePakistan Army Rangers to aid theSindh Police against thedacoits and gangs inKarachi and ruralSindh.[11]
Janjua died on 8 January 1993, while he was jogging near his home inRawalpindi. The death was ruled aheart attack and no autopsy was conducted before the burial, in line with Muslim customs.
In April 1993, Janjua's widow Nuzhat, claimed that her husband had been poisoned byBrigadier Imtiaz, head of theIntelligence Bureau,Shahbaz Sharif, andChaudhary Nisar Ali Khan.[16][17]
His family commissioned a private forensic test on hair from his hairbrush, which was conducted in the United States. The tests revealed 67 micrograms of arsenic in his hair, significantly higher than the normal level of 4 micrograms. According to the lab report, "The arsenic... falls within the range considered toxic," indicating elevated levels of arsenic in the hair. The forensic toxicologist stated that the arsenic level by itself is not enough to determine the cause of death but raises a flag that further analysis is warranted.[18] Initially, the government deployed police at his grave to prevent his body from being exhumed. There were rumours that Janjua's stomach was removed prior to his burial.[19][20] It was later reported that Janjua's family members had hired private security guards to protect his grave, fearing his body would be tampered with.[21]
As a result, his body was exhumed, and anautopsy was conducted by French, British, and American doctors. The cause of death was determined to be a heart attack.[22] A Supreme Court investigation also ruled that Janjua died of natural causes, without performing an autopsy.[18]
Janjua was among just four senior officers to have died while in active service, alongside AdmiralHasan Hafeez Ahmed (1975), GeneralZia-ul-Haq (1988), and Air Chief MarshalMushaf Ali Mir (2002).[15][23]
Former Prime MinisterBenazir Bhutto, then described Asif Nawaz as "a true professional soldier," and further stated that "he did what he said he would do – he kept the army out of politics."[15] Unlike many of his predecessors, Asif Nawaz was incorruptible and often talked of how he would relax when he retired, unlike other generals who plunged into politics.[11]
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| Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military) (Order of Excellence) | Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military) (Crescent of Excellence) | ||
| Sitara-e-Basalat (Star of Valour) with BAR | Sitara-e-Harb 1971 War (War Star 1971) | Tamgha-e-Jang 1965 War (War Medal 1965) | Tamgha-e-Jang 1971 War (War Medal 1971) |
| 10 Years Service Medal | 20 Years Service Medal | 30 Years Service Medal | Tamgha-e-Sad Saala Jashan-e-Wiladat-e-Quaid-e-Azam (100th Birth Anniversary ofMuhammad Ali Jinnah) 1976 |
| Tamgha-e-Qayam-e-Jamhuria (Republic Commemoration Medal) 1956 | Hijri Tamgha (Hijri Medal) 1979 | Tamgha-e-Jamhuriat (Democracy Medal) 1988 | Qarardad-e-Pakistan Tamgha (Resolution Day Golden Jubilee Medal) 1990 |
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Chief of General Staff 1991 | Succeeded by Farrakh Khan |
| Preceded by | Chief of Army Staff 1991–1993 | Succeeded by |
Chiefs of the Staff of thePakistan Army | ||
|---|---|---|
| Commander-in-Chief (1947-1972) |  | |
| Chiefs of Army Staff (1972-present) | ||
| Vice Chief of Army Staff | ||
| Related | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
