Arif Bangash


Muhammad Arif Bangash is a retired Pakistan Army three-star general who served as governor of the North-West Frontier province of Pakistan.

Military career

He belongs to the famous family of the Khans of Hangu. Arif Bangash was commissioned in the Punjab Regiment on 18 October 1959 in the 20th PMA Long Course. He was a course-mate of Lt Gen Farrakh Khan and General Abdul Waheed Kakar, the army chief. During his army career, Bangash attended Staff college, National Defense College and German General Staff course at Fuhrung Academie at Hamburg. After command of a Mountain Brigade he was posted as commandant of School of Infantry and Tactics in Quetta.
He was promoted to the rank of major general in 1984 and served as Inspector General Frontier Corps and later commanded 9th Infantry Division at Kohat. During his stay in Kohat, Bangash founded Garrison Cadet College Kohat. He was promoted as lieutenant general in August 1989 and served as Inspector General Training and Evaluation at the GHQ. From there, he went on as Commander V Corps, Karachi overseeing the deteriorating situation in Karachi and Quarter-Master General at the GHQ. He retired from Army as QMG in 1994.

Post-retirement career

Arif Bangash took over as Managing Director of Fauji Foundation in April 1996 and stayed there till October, 1996. Later he was appointed the governor of North-West Frontier province on November 11, 1996 where he replaced Maj Gen Khurshid Ali Khan. He stayed as governor for less than three years before he resigned on 17 August 1999.