Pakistan's army chief appoints first female official as colonel commandant of medical corps

ISLAMABAD: The first female lieutenant general of the Pakistan Army was formally appointed as Colonel Commandant of the Army Medical Corps (AMC) on Friday, announced the military's media wing, as the country's army chief called the development a moment of pride for the nation.
The appointment was made by Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa during his visit to the AMC Center in Abbottabad where he first laid floral wreath at a martyrs' memorial.
General Bajwa pinned the badges of the rank on Lieutenant General Nigar Johar's uniform, making her the first female general in the army to receive the distinction.
The army chief lauded the AMC's contributions in ensuring high standards of healthcare during the days of war and peace.
He said the appointment "of the first ever three-star female General Officer of Pakistan Army as Colonel Commandant of AMC is indeed a matter of immense pride for Pakistan Army and the country," informed the official statement.
General Bajwa maintained the AMC had always answered the call of duty during natural calamities, adding its doctors and paramedics had acted as frontline warriors against COVID-19 and displayed exemplary commitment and resolve for the safety and well-being of the people of Pakistan.
"Keeping pace with rapid advancements in medical science is imperative for the doctors and paramedics to keep themselves at par with modern militaries and best global practices in health care," he continued.
Lieutenant General Johar hails from Swabi, a conservative region in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
She joined the Army Medical College in 1981 and graduated in 1985.