Srinagar, May 16: Lt General S A Hasnain is demitting his office as General Officer Commanding (GOC) 15 Corps in a week or so and is most likely to be posted as Military Secretary. Hasnain will be the first Muslim officer to occupy the post.
 He is likely to be replaced by Lt General Om Prakash, who has served at important positions across the state during the past two decades.
 Though there has been no official confirmation about the new posting of Lt Gen Hasnain, a senior Army officer told Greater Kashmir that he is the likely occupier of the post. “It is a prestigious posting,” he said.
 The officer said that after completing more than 16 months of sensitive duty in Kashmir, the Defence Ministry and Army headquarters are working towards appointing Hasnain at the key post.
 Reliable sources said that Bhopal-based XXI Strike Corps commander Lt General Om Prakash is likely to take the place of General Hasnain. “His name has been recommended by Army Headquarters,” the officer said.
 Gen Prakash has served at important positions in J&K. “General Prakash has been awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal for providing inspired leadership while commanding one of the largest Divisions in Jammu region,” the officer said. “His vision, leadership and dynamism helped the Division to effectively bring down infiltration along the line of control in the area.”
 The General has previously also commanded the Siachen Brigade in Ladakh region.
 According to a statement by Public Relations Officer (PRO), Ministry of Defence, Lt. General Hasnain will be holding the last Awami Mulaqat on Thursday at Vilgam, Handwara, in district Kupwara.
 Presently, Hasnain is the only Muslim holding the post of Lt General in the Army.
 During the last year, General Hasnain interacted with the people across the valley and was instrumental in engaging youth with Kashmir Premier League (KPL) and other programmes. He also organized training programmes for soldiers.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 16 May 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 16 May 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 IST