Gen. Zubair Mahmood Hayat

A four-star general of the Pakistan Army, currently serving as the 17th Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), General Zubair Mahmood Hayat HI (M), NI (M), hails from a military family. His father retired from Pakistan Army as a major general. One of Gen. Zubair's brother, Lt. Gen. Umar Hayat, is serving as chairman of Pakistan Ordinance Factory Wah Cantt.

He was commissioned in 1980 in 3 (SP) Medium Regiment Artillery, which he later commanded as well. General Zubair Mahmood Hayat, graduated from Command and Staff College Camberley, United Kingdom, and National Defence University, Islamabad. The general served on key posts throughout his career.

As a major general, Zubair Mahmood Hayat served as General Officer Commanding (GOC) Sialkot and led Staff Duties Directorate. He was elevated to lieutenant general in January 2013 and was instated as corps commander Bahawalpur. He has served as Director-General of Strategic Plans Division Force before assuming office of Chief of General Staff. He was also Principal Staff Officer with former Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani as a Brigadier.

He was later appointed as the director general (DG) of the Strategic Plans Division in December 2013. The division, formed in 2001, is vital to research for and development of Pakistan's nuclear weapons, and it works as the secretariat of National Command Authority. After this crucial responsibility, General Zubair Hayat was appointed as Chief of General Staff (CGS).

General Hayat was appointed CJCSC on the same day Qamar Javed Bajwa was confirmed as the new army chief. General Hayat was Director-General of the Strategic Plans Division which is part of the National Command Authority that oversees Pakistan's weapons programme, his promotion as Chairman Joint Chief of Staff is primarily the custodian of Pakistan's nuclear weapons.

In 2016, Gen. Zubair Hayat was awarded with Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military).