ISLAMABAD: For the first time in its history, the Pakistan Army has promoted a Hindu officer, Kelash Kumar, to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
In a statement issued today, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) called Kelash Kumar a brilliant army officer. He hails from Sindh’s Tharparkar district and is the first Hindu-Pakistani to be elevated to the position of Lt-Colonel.
Kumar’s rank was upgraded from Major to Lieutenant Colonel during the promotion boards.
He is serving in Pakistan Army’s Medical corps. In the last two decades, six Hindu officer have been appointed in the Pakistan Army of which Kelash Kumar is the third.
Before the year 2000, Hindu officers working in Pakistan Army were not upgraded to senior positions in the army. Under former military dictator General Pervez Musharraf’s rule, however, this changed. Since then, Hindu officers have risen to the rank of Major.
All of them belong to different districts of Mirpur. According to an estimate, there are presently more than 400 Hindus in the Pakistan Army.
Har Charan Singh, who was commissioned in the Pakistan Army in 2007, was the first Hindu-Sikh officer to reach the rank of Major.
Who is Lt Col Kelash Kumar?
Dr Kailash Meghwar hails from Umerkot’s Nohanto village, but his family later moved to the Cheelhar town in Tharparkar. He completed MBBS from the Liaquat Medical University of Health Sciences Jamshoro in 2006.
