Lt General PM Hariz is GOC Southern Command

NAGPUR: Lieutenant General PM Hariz took over as General Officer Commanding (GOC) for Southern Command on September 1. He took charge from Lieutenant General Bipin Rawat. On assuming command of the largest geographical formation of the Indian Army, he laid a wreath at the National War Memorial, Pune, said a press release issued by the defence PRO. Nagpur and Kamptee come under the Southern Command. Prior to the current appointment, he was General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Army (GOC) Training Command at Shimla.

Hariz hails from Kozhikode in Kerala, and did his schooling from Sainik School, Amravatinagar (Tamil Nadu). He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA), Pune. On completion of basic military training from Indian Military Academy 1978, he was commissioned into 12 Mechanized Infantry battalion and later commanded 19 Mechanized Infantry battalion The officer has a vast experience of serving on prestigious staff and command appointments. He has held various UN appointments, which include a combined tenure as Military Observer, Chief Personnel Officer and Regional Commander in Angola, said a press release.

The officer was instructor at Infantry School, Mhow, and also at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, said the press release. He is a recipient of Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.