President Asif Ali Zardari presented the prestigious Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military) to General Syed Amir Raza, the Commander of the National Strategic Command, during a special ceremony held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad on Tuesday. The event marked a significant recognition of the general’s long and distinguished service to the nation.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, and all the services chiefs attended the ceremony. Other high-profile guests included Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gillani, several federal ministers, senior government officials, and ambassadors from various countries. The presence of such a large number of top civilian and military leaders highlighted the importance of the occasion.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had promoted General Raza from the rank of Lieutenant General to a full four-star general. At the same time, he appointed him as the first NSC Commander. This new position was created after the Pakistan Army, Air Force, and Navy Amendment Bills were passed in 2025. With the introduction of the National Strategic Command, the traditional post of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee was abolished.
General Syed Amir Raza has an impressive military career spanning several decades. He was commissioned into the 6 Lancers, a well-known armoured corps regiment, in 1988. He is a graduate of the Command and Staff College Quetta, the National Defence University in Islamabad, and the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom.
Throughout his service, he has held a wide range of important command, staff, and instructional appointments. These include serving as brigade major of an infantry brigade, General Staff Officer Grade-2 at the Chief of General Staff Secretariat, Chief of Staff of a Strike Corps, Director General of the Weapons and Equipment Directorate, Chairman of Heavy Industries Taxila, and Chief of General Staff at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.
He has also successfully commanded an armoured regiment, an armoured brigade, an infantry brigade in South Waziristan, an infantry division, and a corps stationed along the eastern border. In addition, he has served on the faculty of the School of Armour and Mechanised Warfare as well as the Command and Staff College Quetta in different instructional roles.
The conferment of the Nishan-e-Imtiaz on General Raza reflects the high regard in which he is held for his professional excellence and dedication to the country’s defence.
