By Iftikhar Mashwani
ISLAMABAD: The federal government has promoted Chief of General Staff (CGS) Lt Gen Syed Amir Raza to the rank of a four-star general and appointed him as the new Commander National Strategic Command (CNSC), the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) announced on Friday.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated General Amir Raza on his promotion and appointment, expressing confidence in his leadership and wishing him success in carrying out the country’s critical strategic responsibilities.
General Amir Raza is a decorated officer who has been awarded the Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military) and the Sitara-i-Basalat (Star of Valour) in recognition of his distinguished military service.
The position of Commander National Strategic Command (CNSC) was established under the 27th Constitutional Amendment introduced last year.
The amendment restructured Pakistan’s military command framework by transferring responsibility for overseeing the country’s strategic nuclear command from the former Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) to the newly created CNSC. The office of the CJCSC was subsequently abolished as part of the constitutional reforms.
The appointment marks a significant development in Pakistan’s evolving national security and strategic command structure.
Commissioned into the 6 Lancers in 1988, General Amir Raza Malik has held a distinguished military career spanning command, staff, and instructional appointments.
He commanded the 6 Lancers from November 2007 to September 2009, an Armoured Brigade, an Infantry Brigade in South Waziristan, and later an Infantry Division.
His key staff assignments include Brigade Major of an Infantry Brigade, GSO-2 at the Chief of General Staff Secretariat, Chief of Staff of a Strike Corps, and Director General of the Directorate of Weapons and Equipment.
In the field of military education, he served as an instructor at the School of Armour and Mechanized Warfare (SA&MW), Director FORADS, and Chief Instructor at the Command and Staff College, Quetta.
General Amir Raza assumed command of Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) on April 28, 2020, and was promoted to Lieutenant General on October 11, 2022. Following the unrest of May 9, 2023, he was appointed Corps Commander Lahore before later serving as Chief of General Staff.
His latest elevation to Commander National Strategic Command marks another milestone in his military career, placing him at the helm of one of Pakistan’s most critical strategic institutions.
