Pakistan appoints first female commandant of Army Medical Corps
Lt Gen Nigar Johar is first to reach the three-star rank in the country
Islamabad: Lieutenant General Nigar Johar has become Pakistan’s first-ever female general to be appointed the colonel commandant of the Army Medical Corps (AMC).
Pakistan Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa pinned the badges of rank to formally appoint Lt Gen Nigar Johar as Colonel Commandant of AMC on Friday, according to a statement by the military’s media affairs wing ISPR. She is also the first female Surgeon General of the Pakistan Army.
The appointment of the first three-star female General Officer of Pakistan Army as colonel commandant of Army Medical Corps “is indeed a matter of immense pride for Pakistan Army and the country,” Gen Bajwa said.
Chief of Army Staff lauded the contributions of AMC doctors in “ensuring high standards of healthcare during peace and war,” as they have “always answered the call of duty during natural calamities” both in Pakistan and foreign countries.
Military physicians have played a role in introducing medical advancements in the country, also leading to successful military-civilian partnerships in achieving the best healthcare standards. “Our doctors and paramedic staff have been frontline warriors against COVID-19” demonstrating “exemplary commitment and resolve for safety and well-being of the people of Pakistan” Gen Bajwa said.
Pakistan Army’s first woman General
In June 2020, Lt Gen Nigar Johar became the first woman officer in the history of the Pakistan Army to reach the coveted three-star rank.
She hails from the Swabi district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
In 2017, she became the third woman officer to reach the rank of major general in Pakistan. Lt Gen Johar is a graduate of the Army Medical College and holds a Master’s degree in public health. She was also the first female officer to command an army hospital. She has been conferred the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz (milit¬ary) and Hilal-e-Imtiaz, Pakistan’s second-highest civilian award.