Qamar Bajwa arranged security for annual Ahmadiyya Jalsa
In a
boost to country’s minorities, largely Muslim country of Pakistan has
appointed it’s first ‘Qadiani’ Chief of Army Staff. Qadianis who are
also known as Ahmadis were declared a ‘non-Muslim’ minority in 1974 by
Pakistan.
The
new chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, who was first commissioned in 16
Baloch Regiment on 24 October 1980 will replace the widely popular Gen.
Raheel Sharif. He is the son of Late Colonel Muhammad Iqbal Bajwa. His
father served with Qadiani General Iftikhar Janjua during the 1965
Pakistan-India war, Both became close friends.
In 1966 his father converted to the Qadiani faith after a visit to the
Ahmadiyya Headquarters of Rabwah with Iftikhar Janjua. Although his
brothers Iftikhar Bajwa and Anwar Bajwa remained Sunni. After his death
in 1967, his dead body was brought back to the Qadiani Headquarters of
Rabwah (ChenabNagar) and buried in the graveyard also known as ‘Bahishti
Maqbara’. This is the graveyard where only Ahmadis who pay 10% of their
income are buried.
On his father’s death anniversary every year Qamar Bajwa makes a regular
trip to Rabwah to pray at his father’s grave. (Pictures attached). In
2009 his father’s gravestone was vandalized and the ‘Kalma’ written on
his gravestone was blanked out. In reaction, Bajwa sent three truckloads
of Army Personnel to find and arrest the responsible vandals. An Imam
Masjid from Chiniot and 6 other people were arrested.
The Qadiani graveyard in Rabwah (Chenab Nagar) where Qamar Bajwa’s father is buried
In 2011, General Baja made the security arrangement for the annual Qadiani convention.
Due
to the close kinship of his late father with Qadiani General Iftikhar
Janjua, Qamar Javed Bajwa who married the niece of Iftikhar Janjua in
order to avoid revealing his Qadiani faith to other military families
within the army.
2011: COAS Qamar Bajwa visiting his fathers grave in Rabwah
Being a family member of two high-ranking military officials, Qamar Bajwa ended up getting enrolled in top military courses. He studied at Canadian Military College, (Toronto) Canada, as well as Naval University, in California, USA. Qamar Bajwa and Raheel Sharif became close friends after they were both invited to play Bridge with former COAS Pervez Musharraf, while he was still President. This him to several more high-ranking posts including Rawalpindi Corps, and Inspector General of Training and Evaluation at GHQ. Two posts where only the closest of Musharraf aides were appointed.
