ISLAMABAD: Pakistani President Arif Alvi has appointed Vice Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi as the new chief of the naval staff and promoted him the rank of admiral, Pakistan Navy confirmed in a statement on Thursday.
Vice Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi (Photo courtesy: Pakistan Navy)
Admiral Niazi will assume command on Oct. 7, replacing retiring Admiral Zafar Mahmood.
He has served as principal secretary to chief of the naval staff, head of F-22P Mission China, deputy chief of naval staff (training and evaluation) and director general of naval intelligence, the statement said.
He has also served as the commanding officer of PNS Badr, PNS Tariq, 18th Destroyer Squadron, PNS Bahadur and commandant of the Pakistan Navy War College in Lahore.
The new navy chief is a graduate of Army Command and Staff College Quetta and National Defense University Islamabad. He holds a master’s degree in underwater acoustics from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, China.
He was commissioned in the operations branch of Pakistan Navy in 1985 and won the Sword of Honor upon completion of initial training at Pakistan Naval Academy.
Admiral Niazi is a recipient of Hilal-i-Imtiaz, the second highest award given by the government of Pakistan, and of Sitara-i-Basalat, an award given to individuals for distinguished acts of gallantry while performing their duty.
