Umar Farooq Durrani
Umar Farooq Durrani | |
|---|---|
| Chairman Pakistan Ordnance Factory | |
| In office April 2017 – February 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Omar Mahmood Hayat |
| Succeeded by | Sadiq Ali |
| Commander I Coprs Mangla | |
| In office September 2015 – April 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Hilal Hussain |
| Succeeded by | Azhar Saleh Abbasi |
| Personal details | |
| Alma mater | Pakistan Military Academy Command and Staff College Quetta National Defence University Joint Forces Staff College Cranfield University Royal Military College of Science |
| Awards | Hilal-i-Imtiaz [1] |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Pakistan |
| Branch/service | Pakistan Army |
| Years of service | 1983–2018 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Unit | Armoured Corps |
| Commands |
|
Umar Farooq Durrani is a retired senior officer of the Pakistan Army who served as Commander of I Corps, Mangla, and Chairman of Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF), Wah Cantt.[2][3]
Early life and education
He is a graduate of the Command and Staff College, Quetta, and the National Defence University, Islamabad. He also attended courses at the Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia, USA, and Cranfield University, Royal Military College of Science, UK.[4]
Military career
Durrani was commissioned in the 19th Lancers.
As a captain, he served as Aide-de-Camp to the Chief of Army Staff General Aslam Beg. Durrani accompanied his regiment 19 Lancers to Somalia as part of UNOSOM II. He led his squadron in the rescue operation launched after the Black Hawk Down incident killing 18 US personel. As a major general, he commanded 1st Armoured Division.[5][6] Later he served as Vice Chief of General Staff, posted at GHQ.[7] He was promoted from major general to the rank of lieutenant general in 2015.[8][9]
Upon elevation of his rank, he was appointed as Commander of I Corps, Mangla, a key strike formation of the Pakistan Army, in September 2015 and served until April 2017.[10][11][12]
In April 2017, he was appointed as Chairman of Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF), Wah Cantt, where he oversaw defense production and modernization efforts.[13][14] As chairman of POF, he had led foreign delegations and worked with foreign companies to boost foreign diplomacy and mutual interest of works. It was during this time it was discovered he had applied for immigration to Canada while still in uniform. This led to disciplinary actiona and his early retirment from the army. [15][16] He also worked to modernize the plants of POF, thereby boosting the working progress of it.[17][18]
Post-retirement activities
After retiring from the Pakistan Army in 2018, Durrani became involved in various business and trade initiatives. He serves as a board member of the Pakistan Western Canada Trade Association (PWCTA), promoting trade relations between Pakistan and Western Canada.[4] He is also the incumbent Vice President of Focus College.[19]
References
- ^ Post, The Frontier. "CNS inaugurates special arms for PN". Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ DailyTimes.pk (2017-04-02). "COAS orders transfers and postings of officers". Daily Times. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ "Army will defend every inch of Pakistan: Gen Sharif". ARY NEWS. 2016-09-23. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ a b "Lt. Gen. Umar Farooq Durrani (Retd)". Pakistan Western Canada Trade Association. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
- ^ Banerji, Rana. "Will Pakistan's army chief stay on?". Rediff. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ "NWA military commander changed". The Nation. 2014-03-02. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ "Pakistani army's top brass revamped after new promotions". The Economic Times. 2015-09-22. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ Reporter, The Newspaper's Staff (2015-09-23). "Four major generals promoted". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
- ^ "Key promotions, postings and transfers in Pakistan Army". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ "Vice chief of general staff made Mangla corps head". Dawn. 2 April 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
- ^ "Census coordination meeting held at Mangla". 2017-03-04. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ "Lt-Gen Azhar new Mangla Corps Commander". The Nation. 2017-04-02. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ Siddiqui, Basma (2017-04-01). "NDMA chief posted as Corps Commander Mangla". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ Khan, Bilal (2017-08-25). "Kalashnikov signs letter-of-understanding with Pakistan's POF - Quwa". Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ Khan, Bilal (2017-11-20). "Pakistani delegation visited Poland to discuss potential assault rifle program - Quwa". Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ "Kalashnikov Group enters into cooperation agreement with Pakistan || Kalashnikov Media". en.kalashnikovgroup.ru. Archived from the original on 2022-05-24. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ APP (2017-10-27). "Senate body recommends speedy release of funds for POF plant modernisation". Profit by Pakistan Today. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ Khan, Bilal (2017-07-27). "Pakistan Ordnance Factories requests resources for modernization plans - Quwa". Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ "Staff Directory – Focus College". Retrieved 2025-06-13.