General (retd) Abdul Waheed Kakar, who commanded Pakistan’s army from 1993 to 1996, has died in Rawalpindi at the age of 89. The military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), announced his death on Monday, October 26, 2026. No cause of death or funeral arrangements were given at the time.
From the Frontier Force to corps commander
Kakar was born in 1937 and joined the army in 1956, receiving his commission in the Frontier Force Regiment in 1959. He saw action against India at Chawinda in the 1965 war and in the Sulemanki sector in 1971. He later attended the Command and Staff College in Canada and the National Defence University in Pakistan.
He commanded the 16th Infantry Division in Quetta, served as adjutant-general at army headquarters, and in 1989 took command of XII Corps in Quetta.
Army chief in a year of crisis
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appointed Kakar Chief of Army Staff in January 1993, after the sudden death of General Asif Nawaz. He was chosen over several more senior generals.
Within months, a power struggle between Sharif and President Ghulam Ishaq Khan had paralysed the government. Kakar brokered a settlement under which both men resigned in July 1993, and an interim government held fresh general elections that autumn. He completed his three-year term and retired in January 1996.
Tributes
President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the army chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, expressed deep sorrow. The ISPR paid tribute to his “distinguished military career, leadership and invaluable services to Pakistan Army”, saying: “Pakistan Army shares the grief of the bereaved family and offers its heartfelt condolences.” Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also offered condolences.