Mirza Aslam Beg | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 3rd Chief of Army Staff | |
| In office 17 August 1988 – 16 August 1991 | |
| Preceded by | Zia-ul-Haq |
| Succeeded by | Asif Nawaz Janjua |
| Vice Chief of Army Staff | |
| In office 29 March 1987 – 17 August 1988 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Mirza Aslam Beg 15 February 1928 Azamgarh district, United Provinces, British India (Now Uttar Pradesh, India) |
| Nationality | Pakistani British Indian |
| Alma mater | Shibli National College (BA) National Defence University (MS, MSc) |
| Occupation | Soldier |
| Nickname | General Baig |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Pakistan |
| Branch/service |  Pakistan Army |
| Years of service | 1949–1991 |
| Rank |   General |
| Unit |  Baloch Regiment |
| Commands | |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | |
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Mirza Aslam Beg (Urdu: مرزا اسلم بیگ; born 15 February 1928) NI(M) HI(M) SBt LoM, also known as M. A. Beg, is a retired Pakistani four-star general who served as the third Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army from 1988 until his retirement in 1991. His appointment as chief of army staff came when his predecessor, President General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, died in an air crash on 17 August 1988.
Beg's tenure witnessed Benazir Bhutto being elected Prime Minister in November 1988, and the restoration of democracy and the civilian control of the military in the country. Controversial accusations were leveled against him of financing the Islamic Democracy Alliance (IDA), the conservative and right-wing opposition alliance against left-wing PPP, and rigging subsequent general elections in 1990.[2] As a result of general elections, Nawaz Sharif was elected Prime Minister in 1990, but fell out with Beg when the latter recommended support for Iraq during the Gulf War.[3] Beg was denied an extension from President Ghulam Ishaq Khan soon after in 1991, and replaced by General Asif Nawaz as chief of army staff.[4] Apart from his military career, Beg briefly tenured as professor of security studies at the National Defence University (NDU) and regularly writes columns in The Nation.[5]
Beg's post-retirement has been characterized by controversies: first, Beg was accused of playing an internal role in the airplane crash that killed President Zia,[6][7] and, second, he was summoned to the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2012 for his alleged role in releasing the financial funding to the conservative politicians as opposed to the Pakistan Peoples Party's politicians during the general elections held in 1990.[8][9]
- ^ Battle of Jalalabad - Operation Jalalabad - Pak-Afg war, 1989, 13 October 2021, retrieved 6 July 2023
- ^ Editorial (1 February 2008). "What the generals must apologise for". Daily Times. Archived from the original on 6 February 2012. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
- ^ "U.S. Library of Congress: Pakistan and the Middle East". Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
- ^ Ahmad Faruqui. "The army today" Archived 3 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine Dawn, 12 October 2009
- ^ The Nation. "The columns of Mirza Aslam Beg". The Nation. Archived from the original on 20 March 2013. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
- ^ Dunya News- Gen Beg responsible for Bahawalpur crash: Ijaz
- ^ "ONLINE - International News Network". Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
- ^ "Khaled Ahmed, 'Closing in on Aslam Beg'". The Friday Times. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
- ^ "Givers and takers of money both responsible: Chief Justice –". The News International. 10 March 2012. Archived from the original on 28 April 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2013.