Qamar Javed Bajwa Age, Caste, Wife, Children, Family, Biography & More

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Age: 63 Years

Wife: Ayesha Amjad

Hometown: Ghakkar Mandi, Punjab, Pakistan

Bio/Wiki
Other Name	Qamar Ahmed Bajwa check sources The New Indian
Profession	Army Personnel
Famous For	Being the 10th COAS of the Pakistan Army
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)	in centimeters- 185 cm in meters- 1.85 m in feet & inches- 6’ 1”
Weight (approx.)	in kilograms- 90 kg in pounds- 198 lbs
Eye Colour	Dark Brown
Hair Colour	Salt and Pepper
Military Career
Service/Branch	Pakistan Army
Rank	Four-Star General
Service Years	24 October 1980 - 29 November 2022
Unit	16th Battalion of the Baloch Regiment
Commands	• 16th Battalion of the Baloch Regiment • Commander of the Pakistan Armed Forces-Africa Command in DRC (2003) • Commander of a UN Brigade in Africa (2007) • Commandant of the School of Infantry and Tactics, Quetta, Balochistan • Force Commander of the Northern Areas (FCNA) • General Officer Commanding (GOC) of X Corps (August 2013 - October 2015)
Career Ranks	• Second Lieutenant (October 1980) • Lieutenant (October 1981) • Captain (April 1983) • Major (November 1987) • Lieutenant Colonel (April 1997) • Colonel (September 2002) • Brigadier (April 2004) • Major General (May 2009) • Lieutenant General (July 2013) • General (November 2016)
Designations (major ones)	• Staff Officer (SO) in the X Corps • General Staff Officer (GSO) in the X Corps • Colonel Commandant of the Baloch Regiment (2014) • Inspector General Training and Evaluation (IG T&E) (October 2015 - 26 November 2016) • Principal Staff Officer to General Raheel Sharif (2015) • 10th Chief of the Army Staff (26 November 2016 - 29 November 2022)
Military Decorations	Pakistani Medals • Tamgha-e-Azm (Medal of Conviction) (2018) • Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military) (Order of Excellence) (2016) • Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military) (Crescent of Excellence) (2011) • Tamgha-e-Diffa (General Service Medal) with Siachen Glacier Clasp • Command & Staff College Quetta Instructor’s Medal • Tamgha-e-Istaqlal Pakistan (Escalation with India Medal) (2002) • Tamgha-e-Baqa (Nuclear Test Medal) (1998) • Tamgha-e-Salgirah Pakistan (Independence Day Golden Jubilee Medal) (1997) • Qarardad-e-Pakistan Tamgha (Resolution Day Golden Jubilee Medal) (1990) • Jamhuriat Tamgha (Democracy Medal) (1988) • Hijri Tamgha (Hijri Medal) (1979) Foreign Medals • The Order of Bahrain 1st Class (2021) • GUSP Medal For Merit from Russia (2018) • Turkish Legion of Merit (2017) • The Order of Military Merit from Jordan (2017) • United Nations MONUC Medal (2003 & 2007) • Order of King Abdul Aziz (1st Class)
Personal Life
Date of Birth	11 November 1960 (Friday)
Age (as of 2023)	63 Years
Birthplace	Lahore, Pakistan
Zodiac sign	Scorpio
Signature
Nationality	Pakistani
Hometown	Gakhar Mandi, Punjab, Pakistan
School	• F. G. Sir Syed College, Rawalpindi, Pakistan • Government Gordon College, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
College/University	• Canadian Army Command and Staff College, Kingston, Canada • Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, United States • National Defence University (NDU), Islamabad
Educational Qualification	Graduate
Religion	Islam
Sect	Sunni Note: After he was named as the 10th COAS, several people claimed that he was an Ahmadiyya (a non-Muslim minority sect). check sources The Indian Express
Ethnicity/Caste	Punjabi Jat check sources The Indian Express
Hobby	Reading
Controversies	Accusations of Breaking The Official Secrets Act (OSA) In 2023, Qamar Bajwa and a senior Pakistan Army officer were interviewed by two journalists in which they spoke about the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan in 2022, the civil-military relations, and the role of retired Pakistan military officers in politics. Following this, a complaint was filed in the Islamabad High Court against the four individuals. The petitioner claimed that Bajwa had not only violated the OSA but also tried to incite a mutiny in the armed forces. He also asked the court to try Bajwa and the others for treason. check sources DAWN Accused of Corruption and Collecting Billions of Rupees as COAS Bajwa's tax statement was leaked in 2022 several weeks before his retirement. According to reports, General Qamar Javed Bajwa's family, including his wife, son Saad, Saad’s wife, and his father-in-law, managed to amass more than Rs 12 billion of collective net worth in just six years. The report also claimed that his family members invested huge amounts of money in other businesses and stock markets and even began several businesses. Bajwa corrected his income tax return three times during his tenure as COAS, despite the typical requirement being once before taking charge. Soon after, Ishaq Dar, who served as the Finance Minister of Pakistan from 2013 to 2017, defended Bajwa by condemning the leak of confidential tax information. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the public relations arm of Pakistan's military, also refuted the accusations, stating they were untrue. check sources The Economic Times Accused of Murdering a Media Personnel The mother of a killed journalist, Arshad Sharif, claimed that General Qamar Javed Bajwa and several senior officials of the Pakistani Army and ISI, in a letter penned to the Chief Justice of the Pakistan Supreme Court in 2022, plotted Arshad's murder. As per her, Arshad's relation with the Pak Army became tensed after he brought the actions of the army into the limelight on various issues, the ISI started giving threats to him. The letter of Arshad's mother read, "Sharif was close to the army, covering many of their operations against militants. He became critical of certain individuals in the army for their involvement in politics and forced disappearances. This is when he started receiving threats, first from Brigadier Muhammad Shafiq Malik of ISPR…and then from Brigadier Fahim Raza of ISI who called him to ISI Sector HQ Islamabad to convey the message of Major General Faisal Naseer, DG – C, ISI." Sharif faced 15 charges for sedition and treason across the country. He left for Nairobi, Kenya, and there he was reportedly shot dead by the ISI. check sources South Asia Press Accused of Being Involved in Adultery A retired Pak Army Major Adil Raja released a video on YouTube in which he accused Bajwa and the then ISI chief of using actresses in Pakistan for honey trapping influential people in the country. Adil also accused the duo of getting involved in adult activities in the ISI safe houses. check sources News18 Following the revelation, Adil received backlash from the actors in Pakistan. A retired Pak Army official also filed a litigation against him for defaming the General in a court of law in the UK. check sources The Friday Times Bajwa's Comments on The Readiness of The Army In a 2021 broadcast, journalist Hamid Mir claimed that Bajwa, in a confidential meeting at the Foreign Office, disclosed that Pakistan pursued a ceasefire with India because of financial limitations, fearing an inability to manage a military escalation. Bajwa went on to say that India's military readiness surpassed that of Pakistan. In the show, Mir also alleged that Bajwa had organised a confidential meeting with Ajit Doval , India's NSA, and had expressed his desire that PM Modi should come to Pakistan on a visit. Bajwa faced harsh criticism from both journalists and politicians, with some advocating for lodging complaints against him for sedition and treason. Prime Minister Imran Khan also condemned Bajwa's actions, noting that similar concerns had been raised during Bajwa's visits to the Prime Minister’s Office. While giving an interview, Khan said, *"Since this matter is related to national security, I don’t want to say anything that would become news for international media as it would be detrimental to Pakistan."* Following the incident, the Pakistan military's media branch, DG-ISPR, provided clarification, stating that Bajwa's remarks were misrepresented and taken out of context before being presented to the public. check sources DAWN Accused of Getting Involved in Politics During the 2018 general elections, allegations arose that the Pakistan Army, led by Bajwa, had interfered with the election outcomes. BBC labeled these elections as the most corrupt in Pakistan's history. check sources BBC The military purportedly aided Imran Khan's PTI party in securing a win against Nawaz Sharif's PML(N) party. check sources Foreign Affairs Thereafter, Pakistani citizens called for Sardar Raza Khan, the Chief Election Commissioner, to step down, alleging electoral misconduct. Khan denied these accusations, backed by the European Union, which stated that the 2018 election procedures represented progress compared to previous ones. Consequently, recounts were carried out in 94 electoral districts, resulting in Imran's party emerging as the leading party. Nawaz Sharif's Claims Against General Bajwa In 2017, following his dismissal as Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif claimed during an interview from his self-imposed exile in London that he believed his removal from office was masterminded by General Bajwa and two Supreme Court judges. check sources The Economic Times Nawaz was allegedly dismissed from his position because his name appeared in the Panama papers. Bajwa, however, later said before a parliamentary committee that he had no involvement in any plot against the Prime Minister. check sources The Economic Times In 2023, Prime Minister Imran Khan backed Nawaz's allegations, saying that during General Bajwa's tenure as army chief, he sent two brigadier ranked officers abroad to fabricate evidence to show Nawaz's involvement in corruption. check sources NDTV While giving an interview, Imran Khan said, *"He (Bajwa) had sent two brigadiers who proved Nawaz was involved in the Panama case. This is why Nawaz is not forgiving Bajwa."* Downfall in The Liberty of Reporters in Pakistan Numerous reports suggest that since Bajwa assumed control of the Pakistan Army in 2016, press freedom got restricted. Allegedly, journalists who criticized the armed forces were abducted and killed by the ISI. check sources South Asia Press Imran Khan and General Bajwa's Controversial Relationship Reportedly, Imran Khan received backing from the Pakistan Army to become the Prime Minister; this was done by sidelining Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari. He initially endorsed General Bajwa's political aims and protected him on several occasions. During Khan's tenure as PM, he granted Bajwa a three-year extension as COAS. check sources India Today After being removed from Prime Ministership, Imran said, in an interview, that extending Bajwa's tenure was his greatest error and accused him of deceit. Imran claimed, "I did not get to know how the lies were spoken and I was betrayed. Gen Bajwa was playing a double game and I discovered later that even PTI’s members were being given different messages. I would believe in everything General Bajwa would tell me because our interests were the same… that we had to save the country." Allegedly, their disagreement came from several issues including strengthening relations with India and Israel, reopening trade with non-Muslim nations, and the selection of the ISI Director General. During his send-off speech in 2022, Bajwa revealed the role played by the army in the past to influence the political decision making. He also said that the army has stopped interfering in the politics. check sources DAWN He said, "In my opinion, the reason for this is the constant meddling by the army in politics for the last 70 years, which is unconstitutional. That is why, since February last year, the military has decided they will not interfere in any political matter. The reality is that in Pakistan, institutions, political parties and civil society – they have all made mistakes." check sources Al Jazeera Imran claimed in 2023 that Bajwa wanted to have him eliminated because he revealed the cooperation between the army and several politicians to the public. check sources WION Imran has faced backlash for earlier supporting the army. He previously criticized Nawaz Sharif for alleging Bajwa's involvement in his removal as PM. In 2023, Imran claimed that Bajwa attempted to force him to initiate talks with India. check sources The Times of India Khan, while talking about it, in an interview, said, *"Gen Bajwa wanted me to develop friendly ties with India. He put pressure on me for this and it was one of the reasons our relationship deteriorated."*
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Married
Family
Wife/Spouse	Ayesha Amjad Note: Wife's image in Children's section.
Children	Son(s)- 2 • Saad Siddique Bajwa (lawyer, businessman) • Ali Iqbal Bajwa (petroleum engineer, corporate employee) Daughter- None
Parents	Father- Muhammad Iqbal Bajwa (deceased in 1967; colonel in the Pakistan Army) Mother- Name Not Known (died in 2013 due to age-related causes)
Siblings	Brother- Name not known (elder; works in the PIA in the UK)
Other Relatives	Father-in-law- Ijaz Amjad (retired Pakistan Army major general) Father-in-law's brother- Iftikhar Khan Janjua (deceased during the 1971 Indo-Pak War; major general in the army)
Favourites
Sport	Cricket, Hockey
Cricketers	Javed Miandad , Viv Richards
Singer	Noor Jehan
Music Genre	Indian Classical
Money Factor
Assets/Properties	Movable Assets • Deposits in Banks: Rs. 22,70,000 • Jewellery: Rs. 7,00,000 • Others (Furniture Items): Rs. 5,00,000 Immovable Assets • Non-Agricultural Land: Rs. 85,00,000 Note: The given estimates are according to the year 2013. It excludes the assets and properties owned by his wife and children.
Net Worth (approx.)	Rs. 1,19,70,000 (as of 2013) Note: It excludes the net worth of his wife and children.

Some Lesser Known Facts About Qamar Javed Bajwa

Bajwa underwent training at the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) in Kakul from 1978 to 1980. He was 18 when he joined the academy.
He attended the 62 Long Course in the PMA.

A photo of General Qamar Javed Bajwa taken when he was in the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA)
Bajwa completed his training on 24 October 1980 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 16 Baloch Regiment. The same unit in which his father served and later commanded.
Thereafter, he was deployed in Sialkot, where he gave his service for some years.
After becoming a major, Bajwa was sent to Kashmir, where he was deployed along the Line of Control.

A photo of General Bajwa with his wife and sons taken when he was a young major
He began gathering information about the Indian Army and its strategies while serving with the 5th Battalion of the Northern Light Infantry (NLI). He got posted to NLI in 1992.
Thereafter, he took part in numerous military conferences and debates, where he explained extensively about the Indian military.
As a major, Bajwa has served as a Staff Officer (SO) in the X Corps, which is situated in Rawalpindi.
He served as a General Staff Officer (GSO) in the X Corps following his promotion to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
After he became a colonel, he commanded a Baloch Regiment’s unit.
At the School of Infantry and Tactics in Quetta, Balochistan, Bajwa has held the post of an instructor.
Bajwa served in Africa under the United Nations in 2003.

A photo of General Qamar Javed Bajwa taken when he was serving in the United Nations
Thereafter, he was appointed the commander of the Pakistan Armed Forces-Africa Command in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Bajwa served in the School of Infantry and Tactics in Quetta as its commandant following his promotion to brigadier.
In 2007, Bajwa commanded a UN peacekeeping mission in Congo under General Bikram Singh. Singh praised his “professional and outstanding” performance. He said,

In the UN operations, Gen Bajwa’s performance was totally professional and outstanding. A military officer’s conduct in the international environment is different from the way he conducts himself back home. There, he is governed by his country’s national interests.”

A photo of General Bajwa with General Bikram Singh during his tenure in the UN
He served in the Islamabad-based National Defence University (NDU) as an instructor after his promotion to major general.
The X Corps, under his command, clashed with India in 2013 and 2014, resulting in significant damage to infrastructure and loss of lives.

A photo of Bajwa taken while he was attending a military exercise in which X Corps took part under his command
He has a lot of experience in handling Kashmir affairs and considers religious extremism a bigger threat to Pakistan’s national security than India.
General Bajwa took over the command of the Pakistan Army from General Raheel Sharif in 2016.
Many were unhappy with his appointment as the COAS because they believed him to be from the Ahmadiyya sect. This sect is not allowed to hold the post of a military chief in Pakistan.
He was made Army Chief for being a non-political military man who favoured democracy and was proficient in managing civil-military relations.
It is claimed that Bajwa devised Operations Radd-ul-Fasaad and Khyber-4 in 2017 after two terrorist attacks in Pakistan that claimed the lives of many people and soldiers.

A photo of General Bajwa taken while he was inspecting a weapon
Reportedly, Bajwa had a collage of photos of the school kids who died during the 2014 APS Peshawar terror attack to remind himself to work towards eliminating extremism in the country.
Bajwa has travelled to many countries on invitation to address conferences and give speeches. Some of these countries are the US, the UK, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Turkey.

General Bajwa with other senior officials of the Pakistan Army during his visit to the Russian Federation
Despite the strained relations between the US and Pakistan, General Bajwa maintained close military relations with the US government.

General Bajwa with General John Nicholson
After becoming the chief, he met Ashraf Ghani , the President of Afghanistan, to felicitate the building of a fence along the Durand Line, which is the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

General Qamar Javed Bajwa with President Ashraf Ghani during a discussion in Afghanistan
In 2017, despite facing threats from terrorist groups due to his leadership in anti-terrorism operations, General Bajwa dined at a restaurant without security.
In February 2018, General Bajwa spoke at the Munich Security Conference. He discussed tackling threats from the Trump administration and emphasized creating a stable democracy to combat terrorism, improve law and order, uplift Afghanistan, and reintegrate surrendered extremists into society.

General Qamar Bajwa at the Munich Security Conference
Later, the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London named Bajwa’s speech in Munich as the Bajwa Doctrine.
Bajwa visited China in the same year to discuss the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project and ensure no obstruction due to extremism and political turmoil in Pakistan.

General Bajwa with Chinese Premiere Xi Jinping during a meeting
In the Forbes 2018 list of the Most Powerful People in the World, Bajwa was placed in the 68th position. check sources Forbes
Qamar Bajwa received a three-year extension to his tenure as COAS in 2019, granted by the government under Imran Khan due to a “National Emergency.”
The Supreme Court, however, halted the government’s order later and asked the parliament to pass Bajwa’s extension through a bill in the legislature.

A photo of the official notification issued by the Government of Pakistan on Bajwa’s extension
The Bajwa Doctrine 2.0, introduced in 2021, focuses on 4 major areas – lasting peace, non-interference in neighbouring countries, intra-regional trade and connectivity, and sustainable development through investment and economic hubs.
In 2021, the son of a retired Pakistan Army major general wrote a letter criticizing General Bajwa’s request to extend Imran’s COAS tenure. This led to a court of inquiry being started against him.
At a military conference in Rawalpindi in 2022, Bajwa blamed Pakistan’s political leaders for the 1971 war loss with India and criticized the civilian government’s role in the country’s economic decline. check sources The Siasat Daily
General Bajwa handed over the command of the Pakistan Army to General Asim Munir in November 2022.

General Bajwa handing over the baton of command to General Asim Munir
Bajwa faced criticism from many. In the book “Dying to Serve: Militarism, Affect, and the Politics of Sacrifice in the Pakistan Army,” Maria Rashid wrote that Bajwa failed to unite the military by addressing the internal rifts, causing a decline in the army’s image. She wrote,

General Bajwa miscalculated and underestimated the cracks within his own establishment. He acted too late and also perhaps does not seem to have the stomach to ‘quash’ the rebellion within. For the first time perhaps, the cracks within the military, even though they existed before, are being filtered through the concerns of a mainstream political party, the PTI.”

Some sources claim that extremism in the country grew even after the army led by Bajwa launched numerous anti-terror operations.
Saad claimed in an interview that Bajwa began following the hobby of reading after joining the army. Europe’s contemporary history is his favourite subject to read.
Bajwa used to play as a wicketkeeper when he was in school.
Bajwa’s children used to fly on a private jet from the UK to Pakistan while they were studying. This was when Bajwa held the rank of Major General.
In 2023, a video showed up online where a man from Afghanistan was yelling at Qamar Javed Bajwa and his wife while they were on a holiday in France.
In the same year, General Qamar Bajwa said in an interview that General Raheel Sharif wanted to stay as army chief for three more years to stop Bajwa from taking over the position. check sources Outlook
According to sources, Bajwa once asked some important journalists, who were friends with Imran Khan , to convince him to do what the Pakistan Army wanted.
General Qamar Javed Bajwa has a lot of plots and land in Pakistan. He has a 600-yard plot in Lahore, a 1 kanal plot in Rawalpindi, another 2 kanal plot in Lahore, and a 1 marla plot in Lahore.
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Qamar Javed Bajwa Age, Caste, Wife, Children, Family, Biography & More

Qamar Javed Bajwa Age, Caste, Wife, Children, Family, Biography & More

Some Lesser Known Facts About Qamar Javed Bajwa

References/Sources