Ashraf Rashid
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| Ashraf Rashid | |
|---|---|
| May 23, 1948 – October 2, 2004 (aged 56) | |
| Place of birth | Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Place of death | Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Allegiance |  Pakistan |
| Service/branch | Pakistan Army |
| Years of service | 1968–1999 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands held | Head of Special Service Group Director-General of Military Operations |
| Battles/wars | Kargil War Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 |
| Awards | Nishan-e-Imtiaz Hilal-e-Imtiaz |
General Ashraf Rashid (Urdu: أشرف رشيد) (May 23, 1948 – October 2, 2004) was a Pakistani general and the former head of the Special Service Group division within the Pakistan Army from October 1995 to September 1999. He was responsible for conducting paramilitary operations and infiltrating Kashmiri militants on the Indian side of the Line of Control, which subsequently led to the Kargil War. He resigned from his post in September 1999 following Pakistan's defeat for which he was widely blamed.
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[edit] Military career
General Rashid entered the Pakistan Military Academy in 1966. He graduated two years later and joined the Pakistan Army at the rank of lieutenant. He served in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 (during which he was premanently injured on the right cheek) and, later, in the Kargil War, the failure of which he was widely blamed for. Rashid graduated from the Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Before becoming Commander of the Special Service Group commando division, Rashid was Director General of Military Operations, succeeding Jehangir Karamat, who became Chief of Army Staff.
[edit] Kargil War and resignation
As head of the Special Service Group, the special operations division, Rashid helped Kashmiri militants infiltrate the Indian side of the Line of Control in the Kargil district of Kashmir, where his division conducted covert operations. Only Rashid, then-Army Chief of Staff Pervez Musharraf and two other generals knew about the operation. The event marked the beginning of the Kargil War, which ended with Pakistan's defeat and India regaining possession of Kargil. Rashid's role in initiating the conflict and increased political pressure led to his resignation in September 1999.
[edit] Death
General Rashid died of a heart attack in his home in Lahore, on October 2, 2004.
