New Delhi: Pakistan’s chief propaganda officer Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, the Director General of the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) who is equally loved and hated by people in the subcontinent, has been replaced by Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar.
ISPR is the Pakistan military’s publicity wing.
Ghafoor has now been posted as the general officer commanding (GOC) of the Pakistan Army’s 40th Infantry Division based out of Okara in Punjab province.
“Alhamdulillah. Thanks to everyone I have remained associated with during the tenure. My very special thanks to Media all across. Can’t thank enough fellow Pakistanis for their love and support. Best wishes to new DG ISPR for his success,” Ghafoor tweeted from the ISPR director-general’s official handle.
Alhamdulillah.
Thanks to everyone I have remained associated with during the tenure. My very special thanks to Media all across. Can’t thank enough fellow Pakistanis for their love and support.
Best wishes to new DG ISPR for his success.#PakArmedForcesZindabad#PakistanZindabad
— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) January 16, 2020
Ghafoor also tweeted from his personal account, expressing gratitude to the people of Pakistan for their love and support during his tenure.
Thanks for your love & support. Stay strong, continue doing your bit for Pakistan.Stay blessed
آپکی محبت اورحمایت کاشکریہ۔ مضبوط رہتے ہوۓ پاکستان کے لئے اپنا کام جاری رکھیں۔ Stay blessed.
— Asif Ghafoor (@peaceforchange) January 16, 2020
Major General Iftikhar was the former GOC 1 at Armoured Division.
Known for Twitter gaffes
The news of Ghafoor’s removal comes as Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed met Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday.
Contrary to popular belief that Ghafoor has been removed because of his late-night tweets, his exit as the ISPR DG was expected as he had completed his tenure. Ghafoor is also due for promotion and he is one of the youngest major generals in the Pakistan Army.
Ghafoor, who became the ISPR chief in December 2016, was commissioned into the Pakistan Army in 1988 and holds a Master’s degree in strategic studies.
Called the Twitter General on social media, Ghafoor is known for deleting his tweets and getting trolled for his gaffes.
How he gave Balakot strikes a twist
Military sources in India said while Ghafoor or ‘Ghafoora’, as he is known on social media, did embarrass the Pakistan Army with his allegedly drunk tweets, he did prove to be a big asset.
Ghafoor deleted his tweet but in real sense meant that Pakistan Army had already butchered Pashtun, Baloch, Ahmediyas and even Kashmiris over years successfully. Drunk tweet at midnight for his paid trolls to get moving. Deleted after he woke up at noon and thought of Parmosan. pic.twitter.com/h9KLVUt6LJ
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) January 13, 2020
One of his biggest achievements is the fact that ISPR was able to create doubts about the February 2019 Balakot airstrikes even before India woke up to its information warfare.
Exactly 87 minutes after India struck Balakot, the ISPR broke the news on Twitter, albeit with a twist.
Ghafoor tweeted at 0512 hours on 26 February 2019: “Indian Air Force violated Line of Control. Pakistan Air Force immediately scrambled. Indian aircrafts gone back. Details to follow.”
Indian Air Force violated Line of Control. Pakistan Air Force immediately scrambled. Indian aircrafts gone back. Details to follow.
— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) February 25, 2019
By the time India issued a formal press statement through Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale just before noon, social media was already abuzz with many Pakistani handles tweeting pictures and information about the attack to showcase that the strike was a failure.
Such was the power of the Pakistani propaganda that the Indian military was left giving clarification even when it was one of the most daring attacks carried out by it after Operation Meghdoot, which led to the capture of the Siachen glacier.
Also read: Pakistan army spokesperson Asif Ghafoor has his ‘Burnol’ moment on Twitter
Dear india don’t worry.. to become the next army chief they remove him from his position.. suggestion for you keep large amount af burnol with you because he is our next army chief?
Mr. Alex Philip. As a pakistani I feel your pain. ???.
Did he got a promotion? He should have got a promotion if he wasn’t made to move out for his immaturity. Remember the last DG ISPR got promoted to Lt. Gen while he was still DG ISPR.
Plus I think his handling of Balakot should be the low point of his career. He jumped the gun by declaring that Indians have crossed the border. Without his acceptance left liberals in India includig INC and Kejriwal would be forever denying Indian governments historic action by kept asking for proof. Dont forget his other goof up and admission that two pilots were captured in two downed planes giving admission that other plane was a Pakistani plane. If he has not accepted no one would have believed Modi government and BJP would not have won the elections. Instead exactly opposite happened.
Facebook has just banned 103 member of ISPR team. He set up new social media cells with a propaganda army and tried controlling Pakistan media, in which he was very successful. He took propoganda to new heights thinking that just propoganda can sort everything out. Pakistan Army has shown sense in kicking him out as he was trying to build a personal empire from the position by taking everything to new low.
Btw what happened to the other 2 pilots this Inter Services Propaganda Rubbish chief had tweeted who apparently were in their custody??..shall we assume ispr lies and stretches the truth often?..or it doesn’t fact check?..or was it a hit wicket, mistakenly tweeted before checking which country pilots had been shot down? Either way, guess HIS time is UP!
You were embarrassed when the americans confirmed no F16 was downed. You were embarrassed again when the words media attended that site and found nothing.
Actually US never stated the F16 count, was another fakenews from TwitterGeneral.
US never does such inventories!..Quite amusing but not surprising that Pakis fell for it!
Dear why you will accept???? You will never accept.
You will never accept that Israel led IAF in Balakot, see Haarets Israeli news paper 14:03:2019 with wording that Israel led IAF in Balskot. You will get.
US scholar Christine Fair also said about F-16, you can search with title, IAF did not shootdown Pak F-16
IAF told Abhinandon shoot out F-16, but PAF has its all four Missile, which even did not fire, you can search. Asif Ghafoor and also PAF chief said and showed the Abhinandon Jet Missiles with serial numbers…
Dont only listen your Indian media,
.:Also why was the worlds media was taken on an escorted tour a month after???..and no doubt we saw little children studiously engrossed in books..but Question – if indeed there were children there, why didnt Pak shout from the rooftops and take cameras in right then? Surely would have been a HUGE world story! Truth seeker..you should seek these answers instead of swallowing the garbage youre served
Since I tend to be a little soft on Pakistan, used to be more amused than affronted by this gentleman. No more tweets. Ab Meals Ready to Eat par guzara karna padega.