Nigar Johar is the first female Lt. Gen in Pakistan’s history.

Lieutenant General Nigar Johar is the first and only woman in Pakistan Army’s history to have achieved the rank of a three-star General. She was also the third to achieve the level of Major-General in Army. The lady officer in her illustrious career served as the Surgeon General of Pakistan Army.

She led a tough life as both her parents along with her two younger sisters died in a car crash in 1989. Only her brother survived. Her husband, Johar, an engineer in the military, died in 2019 due to cancer.

A trailblazer in her own right, Lieutenant General Nigar Johar is the first-ever female general to be appointed Colonel Commandant of the Army Medical Corps (AMC). Paving the way for women to join and lead within the military and breaking biases in the course of her life’s journey, when speaking on empowerment and the need for diversity, Lt. Gen. Nigar is quoted to have said:-

“Women need to be decision-makers; they need to be policymakers. It is important for women to be in these roles, as only that will lead to a shift in the mindset and the culture. Men alone cannot be making decisions for women.”

With an illustrious career in the Army Medical Corps spanning almost three decades, Lt. Gen. Nigar has rich and diverse experience in management and leadership appointments in the Armed Forces. She also holds a Membership of the College of Physicians and Surgeons (MCPS) Degree in Family Medicine, MSc in Advance Administration and a Master’s Degree in Public Health in addition to other qualifications. She is also the National Instructor of Hospital Preparedness for Emergencies.

Lt. Gen. Nigar is the recipient of the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz (Military) and the Fatima Jinnah Gold Medal for her meritorious services in the Army Medical Corps