Major General (Rt.) Noel Israel Khokhar has been appointed Pakistan’s new ambassador to Ukraine.He is first Christian in the history of the country to represent Pakistan as an ambassador. He is also among few christian officers who rose to the rank of Maj Gen in Pakistan Military.
Pakistan appoints most often the retired military officers as envoys to Ukraine. They are not Ambassadors neither they belong to foreign service of Pakistan. The reason behind these appointments is that bilateral cooperation mainly consists of military equipment.
He will replace Major General R Zahid Mubashar Sheikh and the later replaced Maj Gen R Ather Abbas the former DG Inter Services Public Relations.
Noel Israel Khokhar served in a variety of command and staff positions as well as with the United Nations. He has also been an instructor in Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul, Command Staff College, Quetta and the National Defence University in Islamabad.He Is a graduate of Inter arms Defence College Paris France and Royal College of Defence Studies UK. Holds master’s degrees from Quaid e Azam University Islamabad and Kings College London and PhD in International Relations. He was also attached with Forman Christian College Lahore as Dean of Social Sciences.
On May 9, 2009, the Army Promotion Board in Rawalpindi promoted Brigadier Khokhar to the rank of major general.
According to an Inter Services Public Relations Press Release dated September 6, 2010, Khokhar was General Officer Commanding in 2010.
In 2011 Major General Khokhar commanded the 23rd Division. Khokhar has also been Chief Instructor of the A-Division at the National Defence University, Islamabad. In 2011 the President of Pakistan awarded Khokhar the Hilal-i-Imtiaz (M). Currently serving as DG ISSRA a think tank at NDU.
In 2011 he was also on the Editorial Board of the National Defence University Journal, Islamabad. He is among those Christian officers who have made to the rank of a general.
Tazeen Akhtar
