Lieutenant-General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
Javed Nasir (
Urdu: جاويد ناصر; born 1936
) ), is a Pakistani retired
engineering officer
An engineering officer can be a Merchant Navy engineer or a commissioned officer with responsibility for military engineering, typically used in the British Armed Forces.
In the Royal Navy, Engineering Officers are responsible for the materi ...
who served as the
Director-General
A director general or director-general (plural: ''directors general'', ''directors-general'', ''director generals'' or ''director-generals''
) or general director is a senior executive officer, often the chief executive officer, within a government ...
of the
Inter-Services Intelligence
The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI; ur, , bayn khadamatiy mukhabarati) is the premier intelligence agency of Pakistan. It is responsible for gathering, processing, and analyzing any information from around the world that is deemed relevant ...
(ISI), appointed on 14 March 1992 until 13 May 1993.
Known for being member of
Tablighi Jamaat
Tablighi Jamaat (, also translated as "propagation party" or "preaching party")
is a transnational Deobandi Islamic missionary movement
that focuses on exhorting Muslims to be more religiously observant
and encouraging fellow members t ...
, Nasir gained national prominence as his role of bringing the
unscattered mass of
Afghan Mujahideen to agree to the
power-sharing formula to form
Afghan administration under President
Mojaddedi in Afghanistan in 1992–93.
Later, he played an influential and decisive role in the
Bosnian war
The Bosnian War ( sh, Rat u Bosni i Hercegovini / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. The war is commonly seen as having started ...
when he oversaw the
covert military intelligence program to support the
Bosnian Army
The Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Oružane snage Bosne i Hercegovine, OSBiH, Оружане снаге Босне и Херцеговине, ОСБИХ) is the official military force of Bosnia and Herz ...
against the
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language.
The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
, while airlifting the thousands of
Bosnian refugees in Pakistan.
Biography
Javed Nasir was born in
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
,
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
in
British India
The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...
on 22 December 1936,
and is of the
Kashmiri descent.
After his intermediate from Government College, Lahore, Nasir joined the
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...
and entered in the
Pakistan Military Academy
Pakistan Military Academy ( ur, ), also referred to by its acronym PMA. PMA is an officers training school located near Kakul village in the city and district of Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa established in 1947. It is the sole service academy ...
at
Kakul
Kakul (Kakol) is a village situated in the Tehsil and District Abbottabad, at an elevation of 1300 metres, 5 km northeast of center of Abbottabad city near the Thandiani Hills. Abbottabad is a District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Paki ...
in 1953. He was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers in 1956 and commanded a
Sapper
A sapper, also called a pioneer (military), pioneer or combat engineer, is a combatant or soldier who performs a variety of military engineering duties, such as breaching fortifications, demolitions, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefie ...
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may range ...
. Between 1957 and 1959 he was attached to the
Frontier Force Regiment
The Frontier Force Regiment is one of the six infantry regiments of the Pakistan Army. They are popularly known as the ''Piffers'' in reference to their military history as the PIF ( Punjab Irregular Force) of the British Indian Army, or as th ...
as an infantry officer, serving as Company 2 i/c and Staff Officer-Communications of an Infantry Battalion. He was attached to the
East Pakistan Rifles
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...
as a Company Commander between 1959 and 1962. Thereafter he commanded a
Pioneer
Pioneer commonly refers to a settler who migrates to previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited land.
In the United States pioneer commonly refers to an American pioneer, a person in American history who migrated west to join in settling and de ...
Company attached to the Independent Engineering Brigade,
Force Command Northern Areas
Force Command Northern Areas is a division size formation of the Pakistan Army. It commands the troops deployed in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. It is a component of X Corps of the Pakistan Army. In contrast to the general belief that it is a c ...
Gilgit between 1962 and 1964. Promoted to Major in 1964, he was posted as an instructor at the Engineering Corps Recruit & Training Depot Risalpur. In the 1965 War he commanded a Sapper Company attached to the
12th Infantry Division (Pakistan)
12th Infantry Division, the largest Pakistani Army infantry division, is currently based in Murree, Punjab close to Azad Kashmir. The Chinar Division's headquarters are located in the Murree Hills Cantonment. The brigades of 12th Division are dep ...
in
Operation Grand Slam
Operation Grand Slam was a key military operation of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. It refers to a plan drawn up by the Pakistan Army in May 1965 that consisted of an attack on the vital Akhnoor Bridge in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashm ...
and was awarded the
Tamgha-i-Jurat
Tamgha-i-Jurat ( ur, تمغہِ جرأت, , Medal of Courage), is the fourth highest military award of Pakistan. This citation is awarded for extraordinary heroism while engaged in armed combat with an opposing force on Pakistan soil or outside it ...
. After the War he was assigned to a Staff Position in the Quartermaster General office in the GHQ until the end of 1966 on account of recuperating from certain war injuries. He was then posted as a senior instructor in the Military College of Engineering, Risalpur until 1969. He attended the Command & Staff College Quetta for senior Command Course (to be eligible to command Battalions and Brigades) in 1969–1970. In 1970 he was
Brigade Major
A brigade major was the chief of staff of a brigade in the British Army. They most commonly held the rank of major, although the appointment was also held by captains, and was head of the brigade's "G - Operations and Intelligence" section direct ...
of the 21st Infantry Brigade,
11th Infantry Division (Pakistan). Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 1971, he was posted to command a wing of the
Pakistan Rangers
The Pakistan Rangers ( ur, ) are a paramilitary federal law enforcement organization in Pakistan, operating under the authority of the Interior Secretary of Pakistan. Their primary purpose is to secure and defend sites of significance in the ...
in Lahore, and in this role he fought in the 1971 War and was awarded the
Sitara-i-Imtiaz
The Sitara-e-Imtiaz () also spelled as Sitara-i-Imtiaz, is the third-highest (in the order of "Imtiaz") honour and civilian award in the State of Pakistan. It recognizes individuals who have made an "especially meritorious contribution to the ...
. Between 1973 and 1976 he commanded an Engineering Battalion attached to the 1st Armoured Division, Multan. He was promoted to
Colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
in 1976. For a time between 1978 and 1980 he commanded an Infantry Battalion i.e. the
3rd Battalion, Azad Kashmir Regiment. He was thereafter posted as Colonel GS of the 25th Mechanized Division, Malir. He was promioted to Brigadier in 1981 and commanded the Independent Engineering Brigade at Gilgit until 1983. Thereafter he was posted as a Senior Instructor in Command & Staff College Quetta until 1985 until being promoted to
Major General
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
. His first assignment as Major General was as Major General - Engineering attached to the office of DGMO, GHQ.
He gained
commissioned as
2nd-Lt. in the
Corps of Engineers of the
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...
where his career is mostly spent.
In 1967, Nasir qualified as a
licensed
A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit).
A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...
professional engineer
Regulation and licensure in engineering is established by various jurisdictions of the world to encourage life, public welfare, safety, well-being, then environment and other interests of the general public and to define the licensure process thro ...
(PE) by the
Pakistan Engineering Council
The Pakistan Engineering Council (Urdu: ; acronym: PEC) is a professional body for accreditation of engineering education and regulation of engineering profession in Pakistan. It was established on 10 January 1976 by the Parliament under the ...
(PEC).
He was known to have served in the
combat engineering
A combat engineer (also called pioneer or sapper) is a type of soldier who performs military engineering tasks in support of land forces combat operations. Combat engineers perform a variety of military engineering, tunnel and mine warfare task ...
formations during the
second war with India in 1965 as
army captain
The army rank of captain (from the French ) is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to the command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today, a captain is typically either t ...
, and later served in the
western front of the
third war with India in 1971 as major.
After the
third war with India in 1971,
Maj. Maj may refer to:
* Major, a rank of commissioned officer in many military forces
* ''Máj'', a romantic Czech poem by Karel Hynek Mácha
* ''Máj'' (literary almanac), a Czech literary almanac published in 1858
* Marshall Islands International Ai ...
Nasir went to Australia where he attended and graduated in
staff course from the
Australian Army Staff College.
In 1980s, he was sent to attend the
National Defence University (NDU) in
Islamabad
Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital T ...
, and graduated with
MSc in
Strategic studies.
In 1983–90,
Major-General
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
Nasir joined the faculty of the
Armed Forces War College of the
National Defense University
The National Defense University (NDU) is an institution of higher education funded by the United States Department of Defense, intended to facilitate high-level education, training, and professional development of national security leaders. As ...
(NDU), which he instructed courses on
war studies
War studies, sometimes called polemology, is the multi-disciplinary study of war. It pertains to the military, diplomatic, philosophical, social, political, psychological or economic dimensions of human conflict. The word ''polemology'' derives ...
for seven years, eventually promoted as
chief instructor.
In the
military circles,
Maj-Gen. Nasir was described as a "
moderate person" who
rediscovered Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
in 1986 during the midst of the
Russian war in the neighboring
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
.
In 1988, Maj-Gen. Nasir gained public fame when he was appointed as inspector-general of engineering formation that investigated the
environmental disaster
An environmental disaster or ecological disaster is defined as a catastrophic event regarding the natural environment that is due to human activity.Jared M. Diamond, '' Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed'', 2005 This point disti ...
befall at the
military storage located in the
Rawalpindi Cantonment
Rawalpindi Cantonment is a large cantonment located in Rawalpindi, Punjab province, Pakistan. The headquarters of the Pakistan Army which are known as the General Headquarters (GHQ) are located in the Rawalpindi cantonment.
Rawalpindi cantonm ...
.
Against the United States, German and French military estimation, Maj-Gen. Nasir personally led his formation at the ground to clear out the entire storage containing the
chemical
A chemical substance is a form of matter having constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. Some references add that chemical substance cannot be separated into its constituent elements by physical separation methods, i.e., wi ...
and
explosive material
An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An exp ...
s, as well as the
missile ordnance in mere two weeks.
In 1989, he was appointed as director-general of
Frontier Works Organization
The Frontier Works Organization ( ur, )); abbreviated as FWO), is a military engineering organization, and one of the major science and technology commands of the Pakistan Army. Commissioned and established in 1966, the FWO includes active duty ...
(FWO) and supervised the civil construction of the
Skardu International Airport
Skardu International Airport is an international civil airport in Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. It also serves as a forward operating base of the Pakistan Air Force.
On 2 December 2021, Skardu Airport was designated and re-inaugurated ...
that is
above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''.
The comb ...
.
On 24 September 1991,
Maj-Gen. Nasir was promoted as a
three-star rank
army general
Army general is the highest ranked general officer in many countries that use the General officer#French (Revolutionary) system, French Revolutionary System.
In countries that adopt the general officer four rank system, it is rank of genera ...
, having appointed to command the
Corps of Engineers as its
Eng-in-C at the
Army GHQ in
Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi ( or ; Urdu, ) is a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad, and third largest in Punjab after Lahore and Faisalabad. Rawalpindi is next to Pakistan's ...
.
On 4 February 1992,
Lieutenant-General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
Nasir was then posted as the chairman of the
Pakistan Ordnance Factories at
Wah in
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
, Pakistan, until being appointed as the
Director-General
A director general or director-general (plural: ''directors general'', ''directors-general'', ''director generals'' or ''director-generals''
) or general director is a senior executive officer, often the chief executive officer, within a government ...
of the
Inter-Services Intelligence
The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI; ur, , bayn khadamatiy mukhabarati) is the premier intelligence agency of Pakistan. It is responsible for gathering, processing, and analyzing any information from around the world that is deemed relevant ...
(ISI).
Director of ISI (1992–93)
On 14 March 1992, Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif
Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif (Urdu, Punjabi language, Punjabi: ; born 25 December 1949) is a Pakistani businessman and politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan for three non-consecutive terms. He is the longest-serving prime ...
appointed
Lt-Gen
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star rank, three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in ...
Nasir as the
Director-General
A director general or director-general (plural: ''directors general'', ''directors-general'', ''director generals'' or ''director-generals''
) or general director is a senior executive officer, often the chief executive officer, within a government ...
of the
Inter-Services Intelligence
The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI; ur, , bayn khadamatiy mukhabarati) is the premier intelligence agency of Pakistan. It is responsible for gathering, processing, and analyzing any information from around the world that is deemed relevant ...
(ISI) against the recommendations and wishes of General
Asif Nawaz, then-
chief of army staff (COAS). The appointment was seen a political motive for Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif
Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif (Urdu, Punjabi language, Punjabi: ; born 25 December 1949) is a Pakistani businessman and politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan for three non-consecutive terms. He is the longest-serving prime ...
since General Nasir had no experience in the
intelligence gathering network
An intelligence gathering network is a system through which information about a particular entity is collected for the benefit of another through the use of more than one, inter-related source. Such information may be gathered by a military inte ...
and was virtually a ghost in country's
intelligence community.
At that time,
Prime Minister Sharif had family relations with Lt-Gen. Nasir Javed, and knew him very well.
In the military, he was of the view of
anti-American sentiments, accusing the United States of using
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
for political reasons and against
Russians
, native_name_lang = ru
, image =
, caption =
, population =
, popplace =
118 million Russians in the Russian Federation (2002 ''Winkler Prins'' estimate)
, region1 =
, pop1 ...
in Europe, which further complicated the
foreign relations
A state's foreign policy or external policy (as opposed to internal or domestic policy) is its objectives and activities in relation to its interactions with other states, unions, and other political entities, whether bilaterally or through mu ...
between
two nations.
He also limited the cooperation between the
ISI and
CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian intelligence agency, foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gat ...
to fight against the
global terrorism, thwarting any joint efforts to fight against extremism.
Though, he did help the US to relocate and retrieve the missing
guided missiles
In military terminology, a missile is a guided airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight usually by a jet engine or rocket motor. Missiles are thus also called guided missiles or guided rockets (when a previously unguided rocket i ...
from
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
based on a mutual understanding of such weapons may have fall in wrong hands.
It was during this time when ISI had been running an intensified support for
insurgency
An insurgency is a violent, armed rebellion against authority waged by small, lightly armed bands who practice guerrilla warfare from primarily rural base areas. The key descriptive feature of insurgency is its asymmetric nature: small irregu ...
in
Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
In spite of his seniority in the military, Nasir was overlooked, and was never considered for the promotion of the
four-star rank and appointment by the government during the appointmentment process for the command of the
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
, the
Chief of Army Staff (COAS).
Lt-Gen
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star rank, three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in ...
Nasir was among the five senior and superseding army generals when the junior-most
Lt-Gen
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star rank, three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in ...
Abdul Waheed Kakar
General Abdul Waheed Kakar ( ur, ; born 23 March 1937), was a senior officer of the Pakistan Army who served as the 5th Chief of Army Staff, appointed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on 12 January 1993 upon death of his predecessor Asif Nawaz ...
was elevated to the four-star rank and promotion to command the army.
Peshawar Accord and Mojaddedi administration
In April 1992,
Lt-Gen. Nasir became an international figure when he played major role in amalgamating the
unscattered Afghan mujahideen groups when the
power-sharing formula was drafted.
Due to his
religiosity
In sociology, the concept of religiosity has proven difficult to define. The Oxford English Dictionary suggests: "Religiousness; religious feeling or belief. ..Affected or excessive religiousness". Different scholars have seen this concept as b ...
, Nasir used his persuasive power and motivational talks to agree to
power-sharing formula and, witnessed to have successfully establishing an
Afghan administration under cleric President
Sibghatullah Mojaddedi
Sibghatullah Mojaddedi ( ps, صبغت الله مجددي; prs, صبغتالله مجددی; 27 September 1926 – 11 February 2019) was an Afghan politician, who served as Acting President after the fall of Mohammad Najibullah's government ...
in
Kabul
Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...
.
Bosnian war
In the military and political circles, Nasir had a reputation to be a practising Muslim who would not compromise on the interests of Islam and Pakistan. In 1992–93, Nasir defied the UN arms embargo placed on
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
when he successfully airlifted the
POF's sophisticated anti-tank guided missiles, which helped the Bosnian Muslims to force the Serbs to lift the siege much to the annoyance of the
U.S. government.
While airlifting sophisticated anti-tank guided missiles to Bosnian Muslims, he pushed the
Government of Pakistan
The Government of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=hakúmat-e pákistán) abbreviated as GoP, is a federal government established by the Constitution of Pakistan as a constituted governing authority of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provin ...
to allow the
Bosnian to immigration Pakistan.
In 2011, the
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was a body of the United Nations that was established to prosecute the war crimes that had been committed during the Yugoslav Wars and to try their perpetrators. The tribunal ...
demanded the custody of the former ISI director for his alleged support of the
to Muslim fighters of Bosnia against the Serbian army in the 1990s, the Government of Pakistan has refused to hand Nasir to the UN tribunal, citing poor health.
Removal from the ISI
The
Chairman joint chiefs General
Shamim Allam had completely lost the control of the
ISI when the agency was running under Nasir's command.
General
Abdul Waheed Kakar
General Abdul Waheed Kakar ( ur, ; born 23 March 1937), was a senior officer of the Pakistan Army who served as the 5th Chief of Army Staff, appointed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on 12 January 1993 upon death of his predecessor Asif Nawaz ...
, the
army chief at that time, had been at odds with Lt-Gen. Nasir due to his preaching of Islamic tradition in the military.
In the views of senior military officers in the
Pakistani military
The Pakistan Armed Forces (; ) are the military forces of Pakistan. It is the world's sixth-largest military measured by active military personnel and consist of three formally uniformed services—the Army, Navy, and the Air Force, which are ...
and the civilian officials of the
Ministry of Defense
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
, Lt-Gen. Nasir was often a figure of fun whose intellect was far from being as outstanding as his white beard.
During this time, the
Indian government
The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the Government, national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy lo ...
led by Prime Minister
P. V. Narasimha Rao
Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao (28 June 1921 – 23 December 2004) was an Indian lawyer, statesman and politician who served as the 9th prime minister of India from 1991 to 1996. He is known for introducing various liberal reforms to Indi ...
levelled several accusations against him of supporting the
Khalistan movement
The Khalistan movement is a Sikh separatist movement seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs by establishing a sovereign state, called Khālistān (' Land of the Khalsa'), in the Punjab region. The proposed state would consist of land that cur ...
, the
Indian Mafia
Organised crime in India refers to organised crime elements originating in India and active in many parts of the world. The purpose of organised crime in India, as elsewhere in the world, is monetary gain. Its virulent form in modern times is d ...
and
Dawood Ibrahim
Dawood Ibrahim (; born 26 December 1955) is an Indian mafia gangster, drug kingpin, and wanted terrorist from Dongri, Mumbai. He reportedly heads the Indian organised crime syndicate D-Company, which he founded in Mumbai in the 1970s. Ibrahim ...
– the accusations he swiftly denied in 2008.
At home, Nasir began facing accusations from
Pakistan Peoples Party
The Pakistan People's Party ( ur, , ; PPP) is a centre-left, social-democratic political party in Pakistan. It is currently the third largest party in the National Assembly and second largest in the Senate of Pakistan. The party was founded ...
politicians of supporting the conservative Islamic agenda in the country.
In 1993, the United States formally registered their complaints to Pakistan when U.S. secretary of State
James Baker
James Addison Baker III (born April 28, 1930) is an American attorney, diplomat and statesman. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 10th White House Chief of Staff and 67th United States Secretary of the Treasury under President ...
written a memo to Prime Minister Sharif of putting his country on a terror watch list and was in danger of being listed as terror-supporting nation.
Responding to the complaint, Prime Minister Sharif used diplomacy when he sent his
Foreign Secretary
The secretary of state for foreign, Commonwealth and development affairs, known as the foreign secretary, is a minister of the Crown of the Government of the United Kingdom and head of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Seen as ...
Shahryar Khan
Shahryar Mohammad Khan ( ur, شہریار محمد خان; born 12 March 1934) is a former career Pakistan diplomat who became Foreign Secretary of Pakistan in 1990, and remained so until his retirement from service in 1994. He later served as ...
and
Pakistan Senator Akram Zaki
Akram Zaki (27 October 1931 – 30 November 2017) was a Pakistani politician. He held the role of senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League and chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Career
Zaki also served as Paki ...
to United States of assuring Pakistan's policy of not supporting the militancy in the region.
During this time, several
Arab countries
The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western As ...
such as
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
,
Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
,
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
, and the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
, lodged a strong protest against Nasir of supporting the radical movements in their respected countries.
Following the removal of Prime Minister Sharif, the caretaker Prime Minister
Balakh Sher Mazari
Sardar Mir Balakh Sher Mazari ( ur, ; 8 July 1928 – 4 November 2022) was a Pakistani politician who served as Caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan for five weeks in 1993. He was the tumandar (or chieftain) and the paramount sardar of the M ...
fired and sacked Nasir from the directorship of the ISI, and
President of Pakistan
The president of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=s̤adr-i Pākiṣṭān), officially the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is the ceremonial head of state of Pakistan and the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces.[Ghulam Ishaq Khan
Ghulam Ishaq Khan ( ur, غلام اسحاق خان; 20 January 1915 – 27 October 2006), was a Pakistani bureaucrat who served as the seventh president of Pakistan, elected in 1988 following Zia's death until his resignation in 1993. He wa ...]
approved his premature retirement from his
military commission effective from on 13 May 1993
— he only led the ISI for 13 months.
Upon Nasir dismissal, the new DG ISI,
J.A. Qazi eventually led the massive arrests of thousands of
Arab Afghans and forced the
al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
to relocate itself in
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
permanently.
Expulsion from Pakistan, many escaped to
Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...
to
participate in the war.
According to many political commentators and journalists, Nasir's firing from ISI was not at the behest of the United States but, it was the friendly
Arab countries
The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western As ...
' protests and pressure at the
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution, or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose.
The word is derived from ...
(OIC) that resulted in his departure from ISI and the retirement from his 40-year long
service with the military.
Later life
After his premature retirement, Nasir became a
missionary
A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...
for a
Tablighi Jamaat
Tablighi Jamaat (, also translated as "propagation party" or "preaching party")
is a transnational Deobandi Islamic missionary movement
that focuses on exhorting Muslims to be more religiously observant
and encouraging fellow members t ...
, and went to the
private sector
The private sector is the part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is owned by private groups, usually as a means of establishment for profit or non profit, rather than being owned by the government.
Employment
The ...
where he managed and chaired the
private equity
In the field of finance, the term private equity (PE) refers to investment funds, usually limited partnerships (LP), which buy and restructure financially weak companies that produce goods and provide services. A private-equity fund is both a ty ...
firm and
hedge fund
A hedge fund is a pooled investment fund that trades in relatively liquid assets and is able to make extensive use of more complex trading, portfolio-construction, and risk management techniques in an attempt to improve performance, such as sho ...
, the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), when he was appointed on 14 July 1997 for a two-year contract.
In 1998, he was appointed as chairman of
Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, a
pro-Sikhism organization in Pakistan promoting the religious activities of
Sikhism
Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...
.
In October 1998, Prime Minister Sharif appointed him as his intelligence adviser but this appointment remained for short period of time.
For sometime, he served on the security details as head of security for the
Sharif family
The Sharif family ( ur, شریف خاندان) is a political family from Pakistan, based in the city of Lahore, Punjab. They belong to the Bhat Kashmiri tribe, which is a large community living in many districts of Punjab. The family uses the ...
, but the
PML(N)'s lawmakers and Sharif family cut off their links and distanced themselves from Nasir after the
9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States in 2001.
In 2002–03, Nasir filed a lawsuit at the
Anti Terrorism Court against the media corporations: the ''
Daily Jang
The ''Daily Jang'' ( ur, ) is an Urdu newspaper headquartered in Karachi, Pakistan. It is the oldest newspaper of Pakistan in continuous publication since its foundation in 1939, first published during World War II, hence the name (Jang) translat ...
'', and the
''News International'', for
character defamation when investigative articles published on him regarding monetary embezzlement when he managed the private hedge fund in Lahore.
In 2008, he appeared on the
Geo News
Geo News is a Rank Number 1 Pakistani news channel owned by the Jang Media Group.
History
The Geo Television Network started out with the launch of its flagship channel Geo TV in October 2002 but has since launched several other channels whic ...
and denied any allegations of terror-supporting that was levelled on him during his time as Director ISI, when interviewed by
Iftikhar Ahmad.
At this detailed and hour-long interview, he was of the view of
9/11 was an inside job, and maintained on his stance on the suppressing of the
free-energy by the
U.S.
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
and
Pakistan Government
The Government of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=hakúmat-e pákistán) abbreviated as GoP, is a federal government established by the Constitution of Pakistan as a constituted governing authority of the four provinces, two autonomous territories ...
.
In 2011, the
International Criminal Tribunal
International criminal law (ICL) is a body of public international law designed to prohibit certain categories of conduct commonly viewed as serious atrocities and to make perpetrators of such conduct criminally accountable for their perpetrati ...
for the former
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
demanded the custody of Nasir for his alleged authorization of the
covert program to support to the
Bosnian Army
The Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Oružane snage Bosne i Hercegovine, OSBiH, Оружане снаге Босне и Херцеговине, ОСБИХ) is the official military force of Bosnia and Herz ...
against the Serbian army in 1990s, the Government of Pakistan refused to hand Nasir to the UN tribunal, citing poor health and
memory loss
Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or disease,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be caused temporarily by the use o ...
due to a road accident.
In 2013, Nasir reportedly spoke against Afghan Taliban and the terrorism at the Supreme Court convention, and criticised the
Taliban
The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state (polity), state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalist, m ...
as an armed violent group and criticised them of supporting the violent terrorism for their cause, in a response to the
church bombing.
See also
*
Bosnian war
The Bosnian War ( sh, Rat u Bosni i Hercegovini / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. The war is commonly seen as having started ...
*
History of the United States (1991–2008)
The history of the United States from 1991 to 2008 began after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The dissolution signaled the end of the Cold War and left the U.S. unchallenged as the world's sole superpower. The U.S. took a leading role i ...
*
Conservatism in Pakistan
Conservatism in Pakistan ( ur, پاکستان میں قدامت پسندی), generally relates to the traditional, social, and religious identities in the politics of Pakistan. American historian Stephen Cohen describes several political const ...
*
Blowback (intelligence)
Blowback is a term originating from within the Central Intelligence Agency, explaining the unintended consequence and unwanted side-effects of a covert operation.
To the civilians suffering the blowback of covert operations, the effect typically ...
*
Flip-flop
*
History of Afghanistan (1992–present)
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
*
India and state-sponsored terrorism
*
Foreign policy of Pakistan
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan maintains a large network of diplomatic relations across the world. Pakistan is the second largest Muslim-Islam by country, majority country in Islam in Pakistan, terms of population (Islam in Indonesia, after ...
**
Islamic conservatism
Conservatism is a Philosophy of culture, cultural, Social philosophy, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in r ...
**
Sikhism in Pakistan
Sikhism in Pakistan has an extensive heritage and history, although Sikhs form a small community in Pakistan today. Most Sikhs live in the province of Punjab (Pakistan), Punjab, a part of the larger Punjab region where the religion originated in ...
** ''
Muslim Ummah
' (; ar, أمة ) is an Arabic word meaning "community". It is distinguished from ' ( ), which means a nation with common ancestry or geography. Thus, it can be said to be a supra-national community with a common history.
It is a synonym for ' ...
''
**
Pakistan and state-sponsored terrorism
Pakistan and state-sponsored terrorism refers to the involvement of Pakistan in terrorism through the backing of various designated terrorist organizations. Pakistan has been frequently accused by various countries, including its neighbours Af ...
**
Pakistan military presence in other countries
Pakistan Armed Forces deployments include all Pakistani military deployments that are stationed outside Pakistan and serving in other countries. The sixth largest military power in terms of active troops, Pakistan has an extensive history of over ...
References
External links
Article about Javed Nasir by Ardeshir CowasjeeEditorial about Gen Nasir fleeing the countryLt. Gen. testifies Pakistani Vessel Shipping Arms to Bosnia* http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010417/main2.htm
* http://www.sikhtimes.com/news_060705a.html
Interview with Geo TV
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nasir, Javed
Living people
1936 births
Pakistani people of Kashmiri descent
People from Lahore
Pakistan Military Academy alumni
Pakistani civil engineers
Engineers from Lahore
Government College University, Lahore alumni
Pakistani expatriates in Australia
Pakistani military engineers
National Defence University, Pakistan alumni
National Defence University, Pakistan faculty
Pakistani generals
Pakistani Sunni Muslims
Directors General of Inter-Services Intelligence
Military personnel of the Bosnian War
Pakistani Islamists
Kashmiri Islamists
Muslim missionaries
Sikhism in Pakistan
Pakistani Muslim activists
People acquitted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
Pakistani conspiracy theorists
9/11 conspiracy theorists
Free energy conspiracy theorists
Pakistani corporate directors
People with amnesia
Tablighi Jamaat people