Athar Abbas

Athar Abbas
Athar Abbas
	Major General Athar Abbas
Ambassador of Pakistan to Ukraine
	In office; 2015–2018
Director General of the Inter Services Public Relations
	In office; 2008–2012
Preceded by	Waheed Arshad
Succeeded by	Asim Saleem Bajwa
Personal details
Born	23 June 1955; Lahore
Education	Asia Pacific Centre for Security Studies, National Defence University, Quaid-i-Azam University
Awards	Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military)
Military service
Allegiance	Pakistan
Branch/service	Pakistan Army
Years of service	1976 – 2012
Rank	Major General
Unit	Army Armored Corps
Commands	6th Armoured Division, Kharian; DG Quartering and Lands; DG Inter-Services Public Relations;
Battles/wars	Indo-Pakistani War of 1999; War in North-West Pakistan Operation Sherdil; Operation Black Thunderstorm; Operation Rah e Raast; Khyber Pass offensive; Operation Rah-e-Nijat; Orakzai and Kurram offensive; ;

Major General Athar Abbas is a former Director General of the ISPR and former Ambassador of Pakistan to Ukraine from 2015 to 2018.^[1]^[2] He retired from active military service after 35 years in June 2012.^[1]

Military career

General Abbas was commissioned in October 1976 in the 54th PMA Long Course from the Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul into the Pakistan Armoured Corps. He has held various command, staff and instructional appointments that include command of an armoured regiment, armoured brigade and armoured division. He has been General Staff officer (Operations) in various armoured formations. He is a graduate of Command and Staff College, Quetta and Malaysian Armed Forces Staff College, Malaysia.^[2] After 35 years of active military service, Athar Abbas retired in June 2012.^[1]

Education

He is a participant of the Executive Course at Asia Pacific Centre for Security Studies, Hawaii, US. He has attended Armed Forces War Course and National Defence Course at the National Defence University, Islamabad. He has been on the faculty of Command and Staff College, Quetta and National Defence College, Islamabad. He holds a master's degrees in War Studies as well as Strategic Studies from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.^[1] He was promoted to major general in June 2005 and had commanded an armoured division in Kharian from June 2005 to June 2007.^[2]

Other office appointments

Before joining Inter Services Public Relations Directorate, General Abbas served as Director General Quartering and Lands in Quartermaster General's Branch, General Headquarters. After he was appointed as the DG ISPR, Major General Mohammad Farooq replaced him at his previous position.^[3]