When the common man in Pakistan is fighting for basic amenities like, aata, vegetables, fruits, etc, that too in the month of Ramzan, the country's military's Generals are not 'general'. They are minting money in crores. There have been numerous instances of serving senior military officials found engaging in corruption in Pakistan. Since the first imposition of martial law in 1958, the Pakistan Army has exploited the weaknesses in the civilian administrative machinery to consolidate itself as a parallel political and economic power operating without any civilian oversight. Today, a majority of Pakistan’s top army officials relocate to foreign countries after retirement, setting up their business ventures there.
A research report by Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) Forum, which gathers and analyses publicly available data for intelligence purposes, reveals the names of 12 Generals who have been involved in corrupt deeds and minted money. They are Gen Akhtar Abdul Rehman, 5th Chairman Joint CoS Committee (1987- 88), 7th Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence (DG ISI)(1979-87), General Officer commanding (GOC) 12th Infantry Division Murree (Punjab) (1971); Air Chief Marshal Abbas Khattak, 14th Chief of Air Staff(1994-97), Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (DCAS) (1994), Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Southern Air Command (1988); Lt Gen Obaidullah Khan Khattak, Commander of Pak Army Strategic force (2014), Inspector-General of Frontier Corps Balochistan(IGFC) (2010-2013); Gen Jahangir Karamat, 6th Chief of Army Staff (1996-98), Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC) (1997-98), Directorate-General of the Military Operations (DGMO) (1988-91); Gen Pervez Musharraf, 7th Chief of Army Staff (1998–2007), Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee(1998-2001), 10th President of Pakistan (2001-2008); Lt Gen( Retd.) ShaffatUllah Shah, IV Corps Commander, Lahore (2005-2008); Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani 8th Chief of Army Staff(2007-13), Director General of the Inter Services Intelligence (DGISI), Director General of Military operation (DGMO); Gen Raheel Sharif, 9th Chief of Army Staff (2013–16), Chief of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) 2017,Corps Commander, Gujranwala (2001),Inspector General for Training & Evaluation; Lt Gen Muzamil Hussain, Chairman of WAPDA, Chairman of the Pakistan Boxing Federation; Lt Gen (Rtd.) Asim Saleem Bajwa, Commander of Southern Command and XII Corps (2017), Chairman of CPEC authority (2019-21), Director General of the ISPR from (2012-2016); Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, 10th Chief of Army Staff (2016–22), Commander of X Corps, Rawalpindi (2013-15) , GOC, Force Command Northern Area, Gilgit Baltistan(2009); Gen Syed Asim Munir Ahmad Shah, 11th Chief of the Army Staff.
According OSINT report, LT Gen Akhtar Abdul Rehman was part of the infamous “The Jalandhar Group” or “The Gang of Four”. He toppled Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s democratic government and later hanged him. He is accused of siphoning money from the CIA ON Afghan War project of America. AS DG ISI, he handled the CIA money in the 1980s. He had three Credit Suisse bank accounts in Switzerland 1985, on three sons' names - Haroon, Akberand Ghazi. Huge sums of money were stashed in accounts while Gen Rahman was DG, ISI. Washington Post accused Lt General Rahman for filling his own pockets from the American taxpayers’ money allocated for the Soviet- Afghan war. His approx estimated net worth is US $13.883 Million(352 Crore PKR).
Air Chief Marshal Abbas Khattak had received US $2.2 Million as Bribe during Purchase of 40 old Mirage fighters. His approx estimated net worth is US $1 Million (27 Crore PKR). Lt General Obaidullah Khan Khattak was alleged to have made US $180 MILLION in his three years as Inspector General of Frontier Corps(IGFC), Balochistan. He was involved in drug smuggling and Trafficking in Balochistan during Afghan Jihad, against the erstwhile Soviet Union. He was involved in deals worth millions with China under the CPEC project. He earned US $200 Million through the CPEC Project. His estimated net worth is US $56 Million(1500 Crore PKR).
The report further reveals General Jahangir Karamat accepted bribe of more than US $20 Million from a Ukrainian Tank Company Malyshev. He purchased 300 Ukrainian tanks through a middleman named Col Mahmood. His estimated net worth is approx US $20 Million (540 Crore PKR). General Pervez Musharraf, as COAS, had a 2000 yard Bungalow in Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Lahore. Two residential plots in Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Lahore. Musharraf got approximately US $ 1 Million on retirement, bought US $ 14 Million flats in London and UAE. He built nearly 30 properties, including fancy farmhouses, luxury apartments in the Middle East and London. He purchased Hyde Park Crescent, London flat Worth US $1.6 Million in 2009. A flat in UAE was also purchased by Musharraf worth more than US $1 Million. Took Millions of dollars from the Saudi King to buy apartments in Dubai and London. He lived in exile in the UAE. His Approx Estimated net worth is US $626 Million(16900 Crore PKR).
The report divulges that Lt Gen ( Retd.) Shaffat Ullah Shah, as per International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), bought a US $1.2 Million apartment in London through a discreet offshore transaction in 2007 by Akbar Asif. As per Pandora reports, General Shah earns Multimillion Property through an offshore company. His approx estimated net worth is USD $1.2 Million (32 Crore PKR). Under General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani Defence Housing Authority (DHA) signed joint contract with Real Estate Developers-Bahria Town for DHA Valley, Lahore in 2008 and the project never completed with Bahria town and caused heavy losses to DHA. As COAS, he was involved in a Multi-Billion Rupee Land Scam. He had alleged involvement in Manufacturing, Supplying and Procuring degraded Medicines from a legally established Armed Forces Medical Store Depot. National Accountability Bureau (NAB) estimated Gen Kayani accused of 1,310,000 Kanals land Worth in Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Lahore scam and probe is underway. His approx estimated net worth is US $5 Million(135 Crore PKR).
The report further divulges that General Raheel Sharif received 90 acre land as gift through the Army- Controlled Border Area Committee. HE was allotted 50 acre land as a four-Star General. As COAS, he received 40 acre land. Total value of 90 acres is US $5.83 Million. He has two Penthouses in Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Lahore. He is living in exile in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). His approx estimated net worth is US $54 Million(1460 Crore PKR). Lt Gen (Rtd.) Muzamil Hussain is accused of misuse of Public Fund as a 3-star General. He gave unauthorized Extension IV & V to the Hydro Power Project at Tarbela Dam during his tenure as the Chairman of the WAPDA (Water & Power Development Authority (WAPDA) of Pakistan. he skipped the National Accountability Bureau (NAB)) investigation in the Hydropower Project Scam. He enjoyed two tenures as WAPDA Chairman from Aug 2016 to Aug 2021 and earned exorbitant amounts of money illegally, causing loss to exchequer worth millions. His approx estimated net worth isUS $753 Million(4800 Crore PKR).
According OSINT report, Lt General (Rtd.) Asim Saleem Bajwa established 99 companies in four different countries. He started pizza franchise as Lt Col with 133 restaurants worth an estimated USD $39.9 Million. He invested US $ 10M in the Papa John's Pizza chain. As Brigadier, he joined the Group of Bajco Company. Bajwas’s family utilized US $52.2 million to develop their businesses and $14.5 million to purchase properties in the United States. Asim’s wife, Farrukh Zeba, is associated with 85 companies in UAE and Canada. His approx estimated net worth is US $47 Million(1290 Crore PKR). General Qamar Javed Bajwa, as COAS, earned US $ 56 Million in assets. He has two commercial plazas in Defence Housing Authority (DHA),Lahore. He invested in multiple foreign properties and farmhouses. He has many residential immovable properties in the major cities of Pakistan (Lahore and Karachi). His Income Tax reports revealed mass wealth accumulation of his family. Bajwa’s wife has two commercial plazas in DHA Lahore. He left the country post retirement and is living in Dubai. General Syed Asim Munir Ahmad Shah demanded extortion money worth US $4 Million. As Corps Cdr, he was accused of suppressing the CEO of Master Tiles for extortion. His approx estimated net worth is US $ 8 Million (216 Crore PKR).
The Armed Forces of any country is regarded as the highest institution of the state and treated as the most loyal, high-esteemed and self-sacrificing organisation, who is considered to be the last resort in case of disturbed situation. Pakistan's failing internal security situation, corrupt practices and mounting casualties due to insurgency are the result of diverted focus from the leadership of Pakistan armed forces. The biggest irony in Pakistan is that political leadership is spineless. The Army is without leadership. Military leaders are busy minting money and people are left to get butchered. The number of casualties due to terrorist violence rose from 365 in 2019, to 959 in 2022, a three-time multi-fold increase with 50% increase in terrorist attacks year on year. The resurgence of Pakistan Taliban and Baloch freedom movement, has upscaled the casualties to mammoth levels.
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