In a historic first, the Pakistan Army has promoted a Christian Brigadier, Julian Moazzam James, from the elite Special Services Group (SSG) to reach the rank of Major General. Christian leaders celebrated the accomplishment as the Prime Minister and other Pakistani officials recognized the contribution of the Christian minority and welcomed it as a positive sign of career opportunities provided to non-Muslims.
Born in Narowal District of Punjab Province and a graduate of the 92nd Long Course, Major General James was commissioned into the Air Defense Regiment before joining the SSG. He has commanded the SSG Brigade in Tarbela and the Air Defense Brigade in Sargodha and served as a Defense Attaché in Nigeria for three years. He completed a wide range of military education, including the Air Defense Staff Course, Intelligence Staff Course, Pakistan Staff Course, and the National Security War Course.
His elder brother, Farukh James, also served in the Pakistan Army and retired as a Major.
Gen’s James promotion was lauded widely in Pakistan with citizens and government leaders from across the religious divide taking to the social media to felicitate the Christian army officer.
“It’s a day of immense pride for Christians in Pakistan as we celebrate the promotion of a remarkable individual to the rank of ‘Major General’. Making history as the ‘first SSG Christian Commando Officer’ Major General Jullion Moazzam James in the 76-year history of the Pakistan Army, this milestone fills us with pride,” announced Bishop Azad Marshall, the moderator bishop of the Church of Pakistan, in a tweet on X, formerly Twitter.
It's a day of immense pride for Christians in Pakistan as we celebrate the promotion of a remarkable individual to the rank of “Major General”. Making history as the “first SSG Christian Commando Officer” Major General Jullion Moazzam James in the 76-year history of the Pakistan…
— Bishop Azad Marshall (@BishopAzadM) July 5, 2024
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his good wishes to Gen James for his future, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a press release on Sunday.
“Major General James’s professional capabilities and his hard work and passion had been a beacon of guidance for the young generation,” he added.
The prime minister further said that the contributions of the Christian community to the progress, prosperity and defense of the country were unforgettable.
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— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) July 8, 2024
Mushahid Hussain Sayed, a former senator and head of Pakistan-China Institute and Pakistan-Africa Institute for Development & Research, lauded James for becoming the first non-Muslim in the military’s Special Services Group to attain the rank of a two-star general.
“Matter of pride that Pakistan Army has inclusive approach of merit-based promotions … Equality of opportunity for All Pakistanis, irrespective of caste, creed or religion!”
Heartiest congratulations to Major General Julian Moazzam James on well-deserved promotion as first non-Muslim Pakistani in the Pakistan Army’s elite Special Services Group (SSG) commandos to become a two-star General! Matter of pride that Pakistan Army has inclusive approach of… pic.twitter.com/g46oBUxITr
— Mushahid Hussain Sayed (@Mushahid) July 7, 2024
Pakistan People’s Party Senator Sherry Rehman echoed the same thought, saying that inclusion and merit should be “paramount in all vertical mobility”.
Many congratulations to Major General Julian Moazzam James on his promotion as Pakistan's first non-Muslim in the Pakistan Army’s elite Special Services Group (SSG) commandos to become a two-star General. Inclusion and merit should be paramount in all vertical mobility. pic.twitter.com/UN5lcIFq7C
— SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) July 8, 2024
Christians recognized for their contribution to defending their motherland
James isn’t the first Christian major general in the Pakistan armed forces overall. Julian Peter, who passed away in March 2023, accomplished that milestone after fighting in the 1971 India-Pakistan war as part of the 4th Frontier Force Regiment in the Hilli Sector in what was then East Pakistan, today’s Bangladesh.
Similarly, Noel Israel Khokhar, another Christian officer, was promoted to major general in 2009. He has served as the ambassador of Pakistan to Ukraine after his retirement.
In June this year, Dr Helen Mary Roberts was promoted to brigadier— the first Pakistani Christian woman to reach the rank, as reported by Christian Daily International. Roberts has served as a senior pathologist in the Pakistan Army Medical Corps and as the first female surgeon general of the Pakistani military.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) had said that Robert was “another living example of merit and national representation” in the Pakistan Army.
Similarly, members of the Pakistani Christian community have served in the Pakistan Air Force. They include Air Commodore Nazir (Bill) Latif and Wing Commander Abraham Qaiser, who fought in the 1965 and 1971 wars.
Wing Commander Mervyn Leslie Middlecoat was another well-known pilot in the Pakistan Air Force from the Christian community. During the 1971 war, his aircraft was shot down over the Indian Ocean.
In September 2023, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Asim Munir had commended the Christian community’s contributions to Pakistan’s national development and praised their “outstanding” role in defending the motherland.
The army chief had made the remarks during a meeting with a Church of Pakistan delegation headed by its president bishop, Azad Marshall who called on him at the General Headquarters.
According to the 2017 national census of Pakistan, Christians make up nearly 1.27 percent of the country’s total population, which amounts to roughly 2.6 million practicing Christians in a 207 million-strong population.
