Gen. Asif Nawaz

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Asif Nawaz (sometimes referred to as Asif Nawaz Janjua) was Chief of Army Staff, Pakistan (1991–1993) Image File history File links ASIF.jpg File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links ASIF.jpg File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Asif Nawaz's tenure as Chief of Army Staff was ended abruptly by his death on 8 January 1993, apparently from a heart attack. He is widely remembered as having died under mysterious circumstances. January 8 is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ...

Nawaz had begun to feel upset at many of Nawaz Sharif's moves, most significantly his attempts to create rifts within the Army. American CIA was also unhappy with the lack of co-operation from the General regarding the buying back of the stinger missiles from the mujahddeen in Afghanistan, supplied by the CIA during the Jihad against the Soviets. It is thought that the current Assistant Sec. for South Asia, Christina Rocca, played a major role in the removal of the General. Chaudhry Nisar Ahmad and Brigadier Imtiaz, the former ISI chief, were even accused by the late General of threatening to turn him into another Gul Hassan Khan, the army chief who was sacked by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, bundled into a car by Ghulam Mustafa Khar, and taken to Lahore by road. It is said (without much proof though) that just when General Mirza Aslam Beg was about to topple Sharif at the end of his tenure in 1991, President Ghulam Ishaq Khan agreed to name Nawaz as the new COAS on 16 August 1991, exactly three months before he was to take office as Chief of Army Staff. Nawaz Sharif (born December 25, 1949) was twice elected as Prime Minister of Pakistan, serving two non-consecutive terms. ... General Gul Hassan Khan was the Chief of Army Staff, Pakistan. ... Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (January 5, 1928 - April 4, 1979) was a Pakistani politician who served as President, from 1971 to 1973, and as Prime Minister, from 1973 to 1977, of Pakistan. ... Ghulam Mustafa Khar Ghulam Mustafa Khar, was a close ally of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his chief minister in Punjab, Pakistan during the 1970s. ... South section of the Hazuri Bagh, looking south towards the Roshnai Gate The Minar-e-Pakistan, south-side view Lahore (لاەور) is a major city in Pakistan and is the capital of the province of Punjab. ... Mirza Aslam Beg was Chief of Army Staff, Pakistan, succeeding General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. ... Ghulam Ishaq Khan Ghulam Ishaq Khan (born January 20, 1915) was President of Pakistan from August 17, 1988 until July 18, 1993. ... August 16 is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The untimely demise of Nawaz fuelled much controversy, with First Information Reports being filed against Brigadier (retd) Imtiaz, the Director of the Intelligence Bureau (DIB). The issue gathered momentum following his widow Nuzhat Janjua's formal complaint to the then President Ghulam Ishaq Khan about the unnatural circumstances surrounding her husband's death. Ghulam Ishaq Khan Ghulam Ishaq Khan (born January 20, 1915) was President of Pakistan from August 17, 1988 until July 18, 1993. ...

She clearly stated her strong suspicions that her husband had been murdered, based on the fact that he had previously told her about threats to his life. There had also been anonymous letters, which had warned the general about threats to his life. Apparently the General and the DIB had developed some serious differences in their relationship.

There are essentially two arguments for and against the conspiracy theories regarding the death. Most arguments tend to support a conspiracy theory involving the general's death. It should also be noted, however, that one element goes against the conspiracy theory; this is the fact that General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq had eliminated the need for Lt. Generals to undergo medical check-ups. Given this, the state of the general's health remains a grey area, and his death, though untimely, could be attributed to a heart attack. General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq (August 12, 1924–August 17, 1988) ruled Pakistan from 1977 to 1988. ...

Nuzhat Janjua suspected that her late husband had been poisoned by arsenic administered in a cup of tea served to him at a meeting of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee meeting. Some political commentators have also pointed out that his widow must have made the formal complaint on the basis of some strong grounds, and that the bereaved lady would not make such an attempt for political purposes. Interestingly the government posted a police guard at the general's grave in order to ensure that the body was not exhumed for medical inspection. There were rumours that the general's stomach was removed prior to the burial to avoid possible detection of foul play.

The issue snowballed in April 1993 as the Army adopted an open-minded approach to the possibility of foul play behind the general's death. Subsequent medical investigations,however, showed that the general had died of a heart attack.