-- Raheel becomes 15th Chief of Army Staff
The handing over of command baton symbolises the transfer of control of Pakistan Army. With the change of command, General Raheel Shrif becomes the 15th Chief of Army Staff.
General Kayani was accorded a guard of honour before he handed over General Raheel Sharif the command baton. Just prior to his appointment, General Sharif was serving as Inspector General Training and Evaluation with the rank of a Lieutenant-General. Before reaching the venue of ceremony, General Kayani laid a floral wreath on a monument of martyrs in the GHQ as marching bands played tunes.
The entire area around the venue of the ceremony was blocked by military and police personnel deployed in the area. Except for the invitees, no one was allowed to move into the area. The change of command ceremony was attended by federal ministers, services chiefs, diplomats and senior serving and retired officers.