During the ceremony, outgoing CNS Admiral Amjad Khan Niazi formally handed over the command of the Pakistan Navy by presenting the traditional scroll to Vice Admiral Ashraf.

Admiral Ashraf held the highest seniority among the three-star officers in the Pakistan Navy.

Addressing the ceremony, Admiral Niazi congratulated Admiral Ashraf for being appointed as the new CNS.

“During the last three years, we witnessed the world transform due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Navies across the world faced unprecedented challenges in maintaining optimum operational readiness. The pandemic also impacted the world economy due to large-scale shutdowns and Pakistan was no exception,” he said.

The country also endured a deteriorated internal security situation post US-withdrawal from Afghanistan and the devastating floods of 2022 that struck the country at a critical juncture causing loss of precious lives and accentuating strains on an already fragile economy, the outgoing CNS added.

He appreciated the naval staff and field commanders for helping in steering the Pakistan Navy through the turbulent times, he said.

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Admiral Ashraf was commissioned into the operations branch of the Navy in 1989. He is a graduate of National Defence University, American Naval War College, and Royal College of Defence Studies.

He has served on multiple key posts in his career as a naval officer including commander Pakistan fleet and commandant of the Pakistan Naval Academy. He has also served as the deputy chief of naval staff in three different posts – operations, admin, and training and personnel.