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{{Short description|Pakistani military officer (1948–2004)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Ashraf Rashid
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1948|05|23}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2004|10|02|1948|05|23}}
| placeofburial_label =
| placeofburial =
| birth_place = [[Lahore, Punjab]], [[Dominion of Pakistan]]
| death_place = Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| placeofburial_coordinates = 
| nickname =
| birth_name = Ashraf Rashid
| allegiance = Pakistan
| branch = Army
| serviceyears = 1964–1999
| rank = [[Major General]]
| servicenumber =
| unit = [[Special Service Group]]
| commands = {{ubl|[[Colonel Commandant|Col. Com.]] [[Special Service Group|SSG]]|[[Director General|DG]] Military Operations (DGMO)}}
| battles = {{ubl|[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]|[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]|[[Siachen conflict]]|[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1999]]}}
| battles_label =
| awards = {{ubl|[[Nishan-e-Imtiaz|Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military)]] (1999)|[[Hilal-e-Imtiaz|Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military)]] (1965)}}
| relations =
| laterwork =
}}

[[Major General]] '''Ashraf Rashid''' ([[Punjabi language|Punjabi]], {{lang-ur|{{Nastaliq|أشرف رشيد}}}}) (23 May 1948 – 2 October 2004) was a [[two-star general]] in the [[Pakistan Army]] and the colonel commandant of the [[Special Service Group]] division within the [[Pakistan Army]] from October 1995 to September 1999. A career army special forces officer, he was responsible for conducting paramilitary operations and infiltrating [[Kashmiri people|Kashmiri]] militants on the Indian side of the [[Line of Control]], which subsequently led to the [[Kargil War]]. He resigned from his post in September 1999 following the intense pressure on Pakistan from international community to withdraw its military forces from Kargil.<ref>Singh, Jasjit, ''Kargil 1999'', p. 68 (1999)</ref>

==Military career==
Ashraf Rashid joined the [[Pakistan Army]] in 1964 and had participated in [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]] as a [[Non-commissioned officer|Junior non-commissioned officer]] (JNCO). Rashid entered the [[Pakistan Military Academy]] in 1966. He graduated two years later and joined the [[Pakistan Army]] at the rank of [[lieutenant]].

He was selected for the [[Special Service Group|SSG]] unit, and was sent to the United States to the [[U.S. Special Forces]] training school to complete his training. Rashid graduated from the [[Command and General Staff College]] in [[Fort Leavenworth]], Kansas.

He served in the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]] and participated in the conflict as a [[Captain (land)|captain]], during which he was permanently injured on the right cheek. As a special service officer, Rashid was promoted as a [[Brigadier-General]] and was later sent to [[Siachen]] where he along with then-[[Brigadier-General]] [[Parvez Musharraf]], participated in the conflict.

In 1995, he was promoted to [[major-general|Major General]] and was made [[commandant]] of his unit. He was instrumental in conducting paramilitary operations and infiltrating Kashmiri militants in the [[Kargil War]]. He resigned from his position and left the special forces as the failure of Kargil operation which he was widely blamed for.

Before becoming Commander of the [[Special Service Group]] commando division, Rashid was [[Director General]] of Military Operations, succeeding [[Jehangir Karamat]], who became [[Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army|Chief of Army Staff]].<ref>Cloughley, Brian, ''A History of the Pakistan Army: Wars and Insurrections'', p. 215 (2006)</ref>

==Kargil War and resignation==
As head of the [[Special Service Group]], the special operations division, Rashid helped [[Kashmiri people|Kashmiri]] militants infiltrate the Indian side of the [[line of control]] in the [[Kargil district]] of Kashmir, where his division conducted covert operations. Only Rashid, then army chief of staff [[Pervez Musharraf]] and two other generals knew about the operation.<ref>Nawaz, Shuja, ''Crossed Swords: Pakistan, Its Army, and the Wars Within'', p. 420 (2007)</ref>

The event marked the beginning of the [[Kargil War]], which ended with defeat and eventual withdrawal of the Pakistan Army from their occupied positions in Kargil.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Zehra|first=Nasim|date=2019-07-25|title=Pakistan recognises the Kargil war was a blunder {{!}} Opinion|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/pakistan-recognises-the-kargil-war-was-a-blunder/story-RWQsdGFndclDPBiWTK6K9I.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-27|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref> After being pressured by the US. Rashid's role in initiating the conflict and increased political pressure led to his resignation in September 1999.

==Death==
General Rashid died of a heart attack in his home in [[Lahore]], on 2 October 2004.{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}}

==See also==

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Pakistan Army template}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rashid, Ashraf}}
[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:2004 deaths]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Lahore]]
[[Category:Punjabi people]]
[[Category:Pakistani Sunni Muslims]]
[[Category:Pakistani generals]]
[[Category:Special Services Group officers]]
[[Category:People of the Kargil War]]
[[Category:Non-U.S. alumni of the Command and General Staff College]]

Ashraf Rashid - Revision history

CleanupBot II at 14:43, 14 August 2023