- Major General Asif Ghafoor is from the Pakistan Military Academy’s 78th Long Course.
- From December 2016 to February 2020, he performed successfully as Chief of ISPR and spokesperson of Pakistan armed forces.
- Major General Asif Ghafoor made the Pakistani verdict on Kashmir clear to the Indians, ‘Any deal on Kashmir will be on our dead bodies.
- Maj General Asif Ghafoor, in short, was the man the Indian media feared. The man whose username was taken way too serious – peace for change.
Major General Asif Ghafoor is from the Pakistan Military Academy’s 78th Long Course and was commissioned on 9 September 1988. He participated in the Kargil Operation of 1999 as a Major. Later as a Lieutenant Colonel, he took part in the 2008-2010 operations against terrorists of Swat and FATA. While a Brigadier, he served as Director Military Operations at Army Headquarters. Also not to forget him commanding Divisional Artillery deployed on the Line of Control. From December 2016 up to February 2020, he performed a successfully as Chief of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) and the spokesperson of Pakistan Armed Forces. Major General Asif Ghafoor has also commanded a unit in the Al-Mizan Operation and remained present in the finalization of the National Action Plan.
Awards
- Chief of Army Staff commendation Card
- Hilal e Imtiaz
His Verdict over Kashmir
At a news conference in September 2019, the then DG ISPR referred to Kashmir as the ‘jugular vein’ of Pakistan. He stated that he wanted Kashmiris to now that Pakistan shall stand by their side until its last bullet, soldier and breath. This was a result of the second month of the Indian lockdown in Kashmir, stripping it off its semi-autonomous status. Maj. General Asif Ghafoor warned India that war shall become a compulsion and not a choice if a nation’s freedom was a threat. In that case, he said a ‘befitting response’ shall be provided to India if it tried to stage any false-flag operation. Wars are not just fought with weapons but also skills and the determination to sacrifice. That according to Maj-Gen. Asif Ghafoor was what the armed forces of Pakistan possessed. The Pakistani verdict was point black made clear by him, ‘Any deal on Kashmir will be on our dead bodies.’
The IAF Scandal
On February 26, India claimed to have killed 300 ‘terrorists’ inside Pakistani territory – Balakot. It further claimed that it was successful in downing a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet. In a tweet, Maj-General Asif Ghafoor said that despite the Indian government claiming possession of evidence on shooting F-16, was still short of presenting it.
The Sun – UK
Back-to-back disclosures of the lie, lead to repeated embarrassments on the part of India. Aircraft count by British officials quashed the Indian claim that their pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman had shot down a PAF F-16 jet before his own MiG 21 was thrown to ground by a Pakistani missile. Maj-Gen. Ghafoor challenged Indians for a Surprise and that was done. Various European masterminds acknowledged his superior planning skills and strategies calling him the Asian Gerasimov. Gen. Asif Ghafoor here warned the Indian authorities against overlooking ‘Pakistan’s silence for not beating losses on the Indian side.’
The Tea is Fantastic
The Time – Confirmed that No PAF F-16 was Shot Down
As a Gesture of Peace Pakistan released Wing Commander Abhinandan – While Indians were Crying
Skirmishes with the Indian media
In August 2019, Maj-Gen. Asif Ghafoor rejected the Indian media’s attempts to belittle Pakistan’s image using fake news as a measure of ‘their incompetence.’ This harshly worded tweet came from his personal account after Indian media claimed that India’s ports were on high alert as a result of intelligence reports that attacks were expected by the Pakistani commandos. He bluntly called the allegations ‘fake and foolish’ and also called them an attempt at a reply to the ‘professional and credible Pakistani media and ISPR.’
In January 2020, Major General Asif Ghafoor punctured the claim of an Indian journalist who said that fewer pilgrims travelled to Kartarpur that day, owing to the minor quarrel taking place therein a day earlier. Ghafoor here responded in a quote tweet over a post by Aditya Raj Kaul. He invited Indians towards an open check for themselves and also said that such acts are not only false but also mischievous.
A military spokesperson trending on twitter by his name, is a not sight you get to see often. In February 2020, he left the post after three headline-grabbing years. Loved by all in an equal ratio, the Pakistani youth followed him on social media taking him as their mentor. In short, the man the Indian media feared. The man whose Twitter username was taken way too serious – peace for change.
