The Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (DCOAS) was the deputy of the Chief of Army Staff and held the rank of Lieutenant-General.
History It was first officially established in May 2001 as the Principal Staff Officer of the Pakistan army by then Chief Executive of Pakistan General Parvez Musharraf after the 1999 military takeover.
The post of the Deputy Chief of the army staff is the third most senior position and the appointment holder is a three-star general. To date, only one Deputy COAS has been appointed and that is Lt. General Muzaffar Hussain Usmani who was appointed as Deputy Chief on 3 May 2001 by then Chief executive and COAS General Pervez Musharraf.
During Usmani's time as Deputy COAS held the rank of a three-star general and occupied the second-highest military position in the Pakistan Army. Gen. Musharraf's decision to appoint him was seen as a means to consolidate his own authority and potentially pave the way for his ascension to the presidency of Pakistan. However, their relationship soured over time, leading to Lt. Gen. Usmani's removal from the position in October 2001.
Appointees Mentioned below is the only general to serve as Deputy Chief of Army Staff Portrait Name Term of office Unit of commission Took office Left office Time in office Notes 1 Lieutenant GeneralMuzaffar Hussain Usmani 17 May 2001 8 October 2001 10 Frontier Force Regiment
See also Vice Chief of the Army Staff Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff Deputy Chief of the Air Staff
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