CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF COMMITTEE OF PAKISTAN ARRIVES ON OFFICIAL VISIT TO SRI LANKA
General Rashad Mahmood NI(M) Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of Pakistan arrived in Sri Lanka Monday (07) on a five-day official \r\n\r\nvisit. General Mahmood and his delegation were accorded a traditional ceremonial reception at the Bandaranaike International Airport \r\n\r\nKatunayake and were received by Chief of Staff Joint Staff of the Office of the Chief of Defence Staff Major General Jagath Rambukpotha and \r\n\r\nMrs Rambukpotha. General Rashad Mahmood paid a courtesy call on the Chief of Defence Staff General Jagath Jayasuriya at the Office of the Chief of Defence \r\n\r\nStaff on Tuesday (08) morning. It was followed by meetings with HE Mahinda Rajapaksa, the President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of \r\n\r\nSri Lanka, Hon Prof GL Peiris, the Minister of External Affairs and Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the Secretary Defence and Urban Development. \r\n\r\nGeneral Mahmood also visited the War Hero 's Monument and paid his respects.\r\n\r\nGeneral Mahmood and his delegation were hosted to dinner by the Chief of Defence Staff later in the evening.\r\n The General is due to meet the Tri Service Commanders, address Students at the Defence Services Command and Staff College, and visit the \r\n\r\nSri Lanka Military Academy Diyatalwa before embarking on field visits to Anuradhapura and Jaffna. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of Pakistan is the highest-ranking military officer in the Pakistan Defence Forces, and \r\n\r\nthe principal military advisor to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, National State Assembly, Ministry of Defence, and the National Security \r\n\r\nCouncil. General Rashad Mahmood was appointed the 16th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of Pakistan on 27th November 2013. He was \r\n\r\ncommissioned in an Infantry Regiment in 1975. He is a graduate of the Canadian Forces Command and Staff College and the National Defence \r\n\r\nUniversity Islamabad. He holds a Masters Degree in War Studies from the National Defence University Islamabad. He has commanded two Infantry Regiments, two Infantry Brigades and has the honour of commanding a multinational United Nations Brigade in \r\n\r\nthe Democratic Republic of Congo. The General Officer has commanded an Infantry Division and has also served as Director General Counter \r\n\r\nTerrorism at the ISI. As a Lieutenant General he commanded the Corps at Lahore and also served as Chief of the General Staff of the \r\n\r\nPakistan Army. His Staff assignments include Brigade Major of an Infantry Brigade, Deputy Assistant Personal Secretary to Chief of the Army Staff, \r\n\r\nMilitary Secretary to the President of Pakistan and Chief of Staff in a Corps Headquarters. He remained on the faculty of Pakistan Military \r\n\r\nAcademy, School of Infantry and Tactics, Command & Staff College Quetta and National Defence University Islamabad.
