Nigar Johar

Major General Nigar Johar (Urdu/) is a Pakistani two-star general in the Pakistan Army. Johar is the third woman in the history of Pakistan Army to reach the rank of major general. She belongs to the Army Medical Corps. The other two major general, Shahida Badsha and Shahida Malik also belong to the Army Medical Corps.

In 2015, she was featured in an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) video honouring women in the Pakistan armed forces. At the time, she was the deputy commandant of Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Rawalpindi. In the video, she says, “Pakistan is my country and I was born here. I was raised here and I think there is no match to Pakistan to anywhere in the world,” while adding, “Think of all the Muslim countries, think of all those developing nations. This is the only country which has had female general officers. No one else,” she added.

Education and background
She completed her schooling through the Presentation Convent Girls High School, Rawalpindi in 1978. She joined the Army Medical College in 1981 graduating in 1985. She is from the 5th MBBS course of Army Medical College and she has served as female company commander of Ayesha company at the same college. In 2010 she completed the examination for membership of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan. In 2012 she completed her diploma in Advance Medical Administration through the Armed Forces Post Graduate Medical Institute and in 2015 she has received a Master of Public Health degree from the same institute.

The major general belongs to the Panjpir village in Swabi district. She is the daughter of Col Qadir, who served in the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Both her parents died in a car accident. Her son Bilawal Khan is serving in Pakistan Army since 2017.

Military career
In 2015, she was the deputy commandant of the Combined Military Hospital Rawalpindi. On 9 Feb 2017, Johar was among the 37 brigadiers who were promoted to the rank of major general. Approval for her promotions was given at an Army Selection Board meeting which was presided over by Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa. She is currently the Vice Principal of Army Medical College.