Athar Abbas

Major General Athar Abbas is a two-star general and a former military spokesperson for the Pakistan Defence Forces who served as the Director General of Inter Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) from January 2008 to June 2012.

Military career
General Abbas was commissioned in October 1976 in the 54th PMA Long Course from the Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul into the Armoured Corps. He has held various command, staff and instructional appointments that include command of an armoured regiment, armoured brigade and armoured division. He has been General Staff Officer (Operations) in various armoured formations. He is a graduate of Command and Staff College, Quetta and Armed Forces Staff College, Malaysia.

Education
He is a participant of the Executive Course at Asia Pacific Centre for Security Studies, Hawaii, USA. He has attended Armed Forces War Course and National Defence Course at the National Defence College, Islamabad. He has been on the faculty of Command and Staff College, Quetta and National Defence College, Islamabad. He holds a Masters Degrees in War Studies as well as Strategic Studies from Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad. He was promoted to Major General in June 2005 and has commanded an armoured division in Kharian from June 2005 to June 2007.

Other Office Appointments
Before joining Inter Services Public Relations Directorate, General Abbas was serving as Director General Quartering and Lands in Quartermaster General’s Branch, General Headquarters. After he was appointed as the DG ISPR, Major General Mohammad Farooq replaced him at his previous position.

Family
Three of General Abbas's brothers are associated with journalism and the media, working with leading media organisations. He is married with three children.

His brothers are Mazhar Abbas (works for ARY and headed the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists for several years), Azhar Abbas (Geo Managing Director), Zaffar Abbas (Editor of Dawn).