Vice Chief of the Army Staff (Pakistan)

The Vice chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS) is the post that is principal deputy and second-in-command (S-in-C) of the Pakistan Army, reporting under the Chief of the Army Staff. The position was created in the existence of army chief is simultaneously the President of Pakistan, having taking over by imposing the martial law against the elected civilian government.^[1] The post is now obsolete and no longer in existence with the army – the Chief of the General Staff now serves as the second-in-command in the army leadership.^[2]

Vice chief of the Army Staff
Last VCOAS General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani 8 October 2007 – 28 November 2007
Type	Second in command of Pakistan army
Status	Vacant
Abbreviation	VCOAS
Reports to	Chief of the Army Staff
Term length	3 years, Renewable once
Formation	25 March 1969; 55 years ago (1969-03-25)
First holder	General Abdul Hamid Khan
Final holder	General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani
Abolished	28 November 2007; 17 years ago (2007-11-28)
Deputy	Deputy Chief of the Army Staff

The function and scope of the vice army chief was to "exercise and perform all the powers and functions vested in the chief of army staff under the law. rules, regulations, orders, and instructions for the time being in the force."^[1]

The vice army chiefs are considered to be the principle commander of the army but not altogether, as the vice army chief has to report to the army chief, specifically in taking decisions regarding the promotions.^[1] The post of the vice army chief is a very senior position and the appointment holder is a four-star general.

List of Vice Chiefs Of Army Staff

All persons mentioned below have served as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff with distinction of General Abdul Hamid Khan who acted as the 'Chief of Staff' (COS) of the army under General Yahya Khan who was the President of Pakistan and also the holder of the post of Commander in Chief of the Pakistan Army. General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani was the last vice chief of army staff till date.

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Unit of commission	Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
–		General Abdul Hamid Khan HQA, SPk (1917–1984)	25 March 1969	20 December 1971	2 years, 270 days	10th Baloch
1		General Sawar Khan NI(M) (1924–2023)	13 April 1980	22 March 1984	3 years, 344 days	1st (SP) Med Regt Arty (FF)	[3][4]
2		General Khalid Mahmud Arif NI(M), SBt (1930–2010)	23 March 1984	29 March 1987	3 years, 6 days	11th Cavalry (FF)	[5][6]
3		General Mirza Aslam Beg NI(M), SBt (born 1931)	29 March 1987	17 August 1988	1 year, 141 days	16th Baloch	[7]
4		General Yusaf Khan NI(M) (born 1948)	8 October 2001	6 October 2004	2 years, 364 days	Guides Cavalry	[8]
5		General Ahsan Saleem Hayat NI(M) (born 1948)	7 October 2004	7 October 2007	3 years, 0 days	33rd Cavalry	[9][10]
6		General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani NI(M), HI(M) (born 1952)	8 October 2007	28 November 2007	52 days	5th Baloch	[7]

See also

• Vice Chief of the Air Staff (Pakistan)
• Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (Pakistan)

References

1. Cloughley, Brian (2016). A History of the Pakistan Army: Wars and Insurrections. New York: Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. ISBN 9781631440397. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
2. "General's first gambit". The Indian Express. 16 December 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
3. "Inter Services Public Relations Pakistan". ispr.gov.pk. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
4. Burki, Shahid Javed (1988). "Pakistan under Zia, 1977-1988". Asian Survey. 28 (10): 1082–1100. doi:10.2307/2644708. ISSN 0004-4687. JSTOR 2644708.
5. "Interview with General K. M. Arif [sound recording]". digital.soas.ac.uk. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
6. "Gen KM Arif passes away". The News International. 7 March 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
7. "Four of 13 army chiefs were senior-most when appointed". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
8. "ISLAMABAD:Gen Yousaf attends his last function as VCOAS". DAWN.COM. 7 October 2004. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
9. Asad, Malik (17 March 2022). "NAB begins probe into graft charges against ex-general Ahsan Saleem Hayat". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
10. "Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani and Pakistan Vice Chief of Army Staff Gen. Ahsan Saleem Hyat discuss relations between the two countries during a visit to Islamabad, Pakistan, Feb. 3, 2007. The admiral met with Pakistan officials throughout the day". www.defense.gov. Retrieved 22 April 2022.