Pakistan: Vice Admiral Niazi appointed new chief of naval staff

Islamabad: Pakistan’s President Dr. Arif Alvi has approved the appointment of Vice Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi as the new Chief of Naval Staff (CNS).

He will assume command of Pakistan Navy on October 7 when the outgoing CNS Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi would relinquish his post after completing three years of his tenure, Pakistan Navy spokesperson said. Currently serving as the Vice Chief of Naval Staff (Operations) Vice Admiral Niazi will be promoted to the rank of Admiral before he takes up Pakistan Navy’s command. The change of command ceremony would be held at PNS Zafar in Islamabad.

The outgoing CNS visited General Headquarters (GHQ) for a farewell call on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa. “COAS thanked CNS for his services to the nation during a long and illustrious career,” said Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.

3 decades of service

Vice Admiral Amjad Khan Niazi joined Pakistan Navy in 1985 and won the coveted Sword of Honour after completion of initial training at Pakistan Naval Academy. He has held various command and staff appointments during the last 3 decades of his service. “His command appointments of the admiral include command of two Type 21 ships PNS Badr and PNS Tariq, Commander 18th Destroyer Squadron, Commandant PNS Bahadur, Commandant Pakistan Navy War College/Commander Central Punjab Lahore, Commander Pakistan Fleet” according to the Pakistan Navy statement.

“His distinguished staff appointments include Principal Secretary to Chief of the Naval Staff, Head of F-22P Mission China, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (Training & Evaluation) and Director General Naval Intelligence.”

He is a graduate of Army Command and Staff College, Quetta, and National Defence University, Islamabad. Pakistan’s new naval chief has a master’s degree in underwater acoustics from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, China. Vice Admiral Amjad Niazi is a recipient of Pakistan military awards Hilal-i-Imtiaz (M) and Sitara-i-Basalat. He has also been conferred with the French Medal Chevalier (Knight) by the government of France.