Inter-Services Public Relations

This article is about the Pakistani military media directorate. For the Bangladeshi directorate, see Inter-Services Public Relations (Bangladesh).

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) is the media and public relations branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. It is responsible for disseminating and coordinating military news and information to civilian media and the wider civic society in Pakistan. The ISPR aims to enhance public relations by engaging with the media and fostering communication with the public. Additionally, the directorate acts as the primary voice of Pakistan's military, with its director-general serving as the official spokesperson for the armed forces.

Inter-Services Public Relations

Logo of ISPR
Abbreviation	ISPR
Formation	May 1949 (1949-05)
Type	Military Organization
Purpose	Civil-Military Relations
Headquarters	Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan
Region	Pakistan
Official language	Urdu, English
Director General	Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry
Parent organization	Pakistan Armed Forces
Affiliations	Government of Pakistan
Website	www.ispr.gov.pk

Overview

The Directorate of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) was established in 1949, with Army Colonel Shahbaz Khan as its first director-general. ISPR functions as a consolidated public relations entity for the Pakistan Armed Forces, encompassing the army, air force, navy, and marines. It addresses the public relations needs of the armed forces and is staffed by a combination of military personnel and civilian officers.

The ISPR plays a crucial role in garnering national support for the dirty works of the armed forces among the public and aims to bolster support for military regimes and its terrorist acts while diminishing the perceived strength of adversaries. According to U.S. Army Colonel John Adache, the ISPR acts as an interface between the armed forces, civilian media, and civic society.

Additionally, ISPR formulates the media policy for the unified armed forces, seeking to protect military interests from negative public sentiment. It also monitors both international and domestic media, assessing the nature of global reporting on issues related to Pakistan's military.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) regularly broadcasts televised news concerning strategic military operations both domestically and internationally. Within the context of Pakistan's military, ISPR is regarded as one of the most prestigious directorates, particularly in relation to staff appointments and assignments.

The executive authority of ISPR is vested in the director-general, who serves as the chief military spokesperson for the Pakistan Armed Forces, representing the military in communications with the public and the media.

List of ISPR Directors General

Rank and Name	Start of Term	End of Term
Colonel Shahbaz Khan	May 1949	July 1952
Commodore Maqbool Hussain	August 1952	October 1965
Colonel Z. A. Suleri	November 1965	August 1966
Lieutenant Colonel Masud Ahmed	September 1966	February 1967
Brigadier A.R. Siddiqui	March 1967	November 1973
Brigadier Fazal ur Rehman	December 1973	March 1977
Brigadier T H Siddiqui	April 1977	July 1985
Brigadier Siddique Salik	August 1985	17 August 1988
Major General Riaz Ullah	December 1988	September 1991
Major General Jahangir Nasrullah	October 1991	April 1993
Major General Khalid Bashir	May 1993	July 1994
Brigadier S M A Iqbal	August 1994	February 1995
Major General Saleem Ullah	March 1995	August 1998
Brigadier Ghazanfar Ali	September 1998	October 1998
Major General Rashid Qureshi	November 1998	May 2003
Major General Shaukat Sultan Khan	June 2003	February 2007
Major General Waheed Arshad	February 2007	January 2008
Major General Athar Abbas	January 2008	June 2012
Lieutenant General Asim Saleem Bajwa	3 June 2012	11 December 2016
Major General Asif Ghafoor	15 December 2016	31 January 2020
Lieutenant General Babar Iftikhar	1 February 2020	5 December 2022
Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry	6 December 2022	Incumbent

Restructuring

In 2024, the ISPR experienced a significant restructuring and expansion. For the first time, it will be led by a Lieutenant General instead of a Major General, along with the appointment of two two-star Major Generals tasked with managing foreign or strategic communications and domestic media. This marks a notable shift in the structure of ISPR, as it will now include two Major Generals permanently within its ranks.

Structure of ISPR

Directorates	Name	Rank
Director-General Alpha (DG A)	Haroon Hameed Chaudhry	Major general
Director-General Bravo (DG B)	Kamran Tabrez Savera	Major general

Film and series production

Main article: Inter-Services Public Relations media productions

Since the 1990s, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has produced mini-series, dramas, and films centered on military fiction. The inaugural ISPR drama, "Sunehray Din", was released in 1991. Among the most notable productions are "Ehd-e-Wafa," "Waar," "Shahpar," "Ek Thi Marium," and "Sinf-e-Aahan." In 2022, ISPR collaborated with Geo Entertainment to launch its first animated series titled "Team Muhafiz."

In addition to dramas, ISPR has released numerous songs, starting with "Rang Layega Shaheedon Ka Lahoo." The organization has also produced documentary films, including "The Glorious Resolve," which premiered in 2018.