Julian Moazzam James has become the first Christian commando from the Special Services Group (SSG) of the Pakistan Army to be promoted to the rank of Major General. The Christian community in Pakistan has expressed its happiness over this historic achievement.
“It’s a moment of immense pride for Christians in Pakistan as we celebrate Major General Julian Moazzam James’ historic promotion to the rank of Major General,” announced Bishop Azad Marshall, the moderator bishop of the Church of Pakistan. “As the first SSG Christian Commando Officer in the 76-year history of the Pakistan Army, this achievement is a significant milestone for our community.”
In April 2023, James led the Pakistani military delegation to India for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s defense ministers’ meeting, which was chaired by Indian Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh, according to media reports.
According to the 2017 census, Christians make up approximately 1.27 percent of Pakistan’s population, equating to roughly 2.6 million people in a population of 207 million.
James is not the first Christian to hold the rank of major general in the Pakistan Armed Forces—Julian Peter was the first. Peter, who passed away in March 2023, served in the 1971 India-Pakistan War with the 4th Frontier Force Haidry Regiment in the Hilli Sector of what was then East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. Similarly, Noel Israel Khokhar, another Christian officer, was promoted to major general in 2009 and is currently serving as Pakistan’s ambassador to Ukraine.
Earlier this year in June, Dr. Helen Mary Roberts was promoted to brigadier, becoming the first Pakistani Christian woman to reach this rank. She has served as a senior pathologist in the Pakistan Army Medical Corps and as the first female Surgeon General of the Pakistani military.
Members of the Pakistani Christian community have also served with distinction in the Pakistan Air Force. Notable figures include Air Commodore Nazir (Bill) Latif, who fought in the 1965 and 1971 wars, and Wing Commander Mervyn Leslie Middlecoat, a renowned pilot whose aircraft was shot down over the Indian Ocean during the 1971 war.
In 2007, the Pakistan Army saw its first Sikh officer, Hercharn Singh Bedi, graduate from the Pakistan Military Academy.
