Lt. General Muhammad Safdar (
Punjabi and ur, ) (1 December 1936 - 26 April 2022) was the former
Governor of Punjab, the largest province of Pakistan, having served from 1999 to 2001. He had previously also served as the
Pakistani Ambassador to
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
and the
Vice Chancellor
A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system.
In most Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, the chancellor is ...
of
Punjab University during 1993.
Army career
Muhammad Safdar belongs to Dulmial, Chakwal Pakistan and is a graduate of
Military College Jhelum
Military College Jhelum (MCJ) is a feeder military Intermediate College, in Sarai Alamgir, Pakistan. Though it is physically located in Gujrat District, due to its very close proximity it is still associated with the City of Jhelum, and is c ...
. Later he joined
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 ...
. During his military career, Safdar commanded an infantry brigade and the
7th Infantry Division, Peshawar, served as commandant of the
Command and Staff College, Quetta from 1982 to 1985 and then reached his professional peak as
Chief of General Staff (CGS) in the GHQ having served there from 1986 to 1988. His last military appointment was commandant of the
National Defence College from 1988 to 1989. Safdar retired from active service in July 1989.
Political career
Safdar was the Pakistani ambassador to
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
, vice-chancellor of the
Punjab University and then Governor of Punjab. The general stayed as the Governor of Punjab till 29 October 2001, when he was replaced by
Lahore Corps Commander Lt. Gen.
Khalid Maqbool
Lieutenant General Khalid Maqbool Vohra, ( Punjabi and ur, ) (born 1948) is Pakistani military officer who served as Governor of Punjab between October 2001 and May 2008. He is the longest serving Governor of Punjab in Pakistani history.
...
.
Views
Brigadier (r)
Shaukat Qadir
Shaukat Qadir is an independent Risk and Security Analyst who works generally in South Asia, particularly in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He started his career as a pilot in the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and then moved to the Pakistan Army. He reti ...
, a political and defence analyst, had this to say about command attributes of Safdar, "In the course of my career I came across very few inspiring senior officers; most noteworthy among them was General Safdar, who later became VC Punjab University and, very briefly, Governor Punjab, and whose extraordinary dynamism in peace inspired one to believe that he would be a success in war."
[Shaukat Qadir]
"Command attributes (III)"
''Daily Times'', 17 May 2008
Brigadier (r) Raja Azizur Rehman, a close friend and colleague of the governor, said this about the new governor when he was appointed in 1999, "he is consistent, professionally very sound, cool and calm. Has immense capacity for work and excels in shifting the essentials. He is soft-spoken and likes to listen, He carries a very happy team. He is very clear about his objectives and leaves no stone unturned to achieve that." The general is reputed to be well versed in the art of getting things done.
References
External links
Profile of the governor
{{DEFAULTSORT:Safdar, Muhammad
Punjabi people
Pakistani generals
Recipients of Hilal-i-Imtiaz
Governors of Punjab, Pakistan
Living people
Ambassadors of Pakistan to Morocco
Vice-Chancellors of the University of the Punjab
1936 births