Gen Raheel shares his birthday ­with many world dignitaries

LAHORE: Pakistan Army Chief General Raheel Sharif, who turned 60 on Thursday (June 16), shares his birthday with a number of international presidents, prime ministers, monarchs, military generals and history-making economists.

Here follows a brief list of powerful global personalities born on June 16: Famous economist and philosopher Adam Smith (1723-1790), renowned American general and military governor of the Philippines Wesley Merritt (1836-1910), Austrian-Hungarian general Arthur Straubenburg (1857-1935), King of Sweden Gustaf V (1858-1950), Ninth Canadian Prime Minister Arthur Meighen (1874-1960), 60th Iranian Prime Minister Muhammad Mosaddegh (1882-1967), First President of Peru General Juan Alvarado (1910-1977), President of Greece General Phaedon Gizikis (1917-1999), President of Mexico Jose Portillo (1920-2004), President of Guatemala General Efrain Montt (born 1926), the 48th Bulgarian Prime Minister Simeon Gotha (born 1937), British General Thomas Carpenter (born 1938) and former Prime Minister of Greece George Papandreou (born 1952).

It is imperative to note that the people born on June 16 fall under the zodiac sign of Gemini. They enjoy the flexibility of being able to pursue their individual interests, while also being able to bestow their wealth of knowledge upon others.

This characteristic of being generous certainly holds 100 per cent true for General Raheel Sharif who had donated his two Defence Housing Authority land plots worth millions of rupees to the martyrs of the Pakistani Army last year.

General Raheel Sharif thus became the first Pakistan Army chief to have donated his property to the Shuhada Fund (Martyrs Fund), which was established for the welfare of families of those who sacrifice lives for country in war and anti-terrorism operations.

Moreover, people born on June 16 are often astute and self-assured. These individuals are usually sweet natured, however can be easily irritable. Always suspicious of others, they tend to keep people at a distance until they are able to ascertain their intentions. This built in self-defense mechanism may alienate them from others if they are not careful.

Since those people born on June 16 are comfortable in their own skin, they are usually quiet and reserved until they feel a need to voice their opinions. They think outside the box and often impress others with their intellectual capability. 

Other people don't tend to notice them until they speak up. However, once they do, they leave a lasting impression. These people can quickly command the respect of others and are effective communicators and leaders.