During his army career, Bangash attended Staff college,National(1971) Defense College (1981) and German General Staff course at Fuhrung Academie at Hamburg (1977-1978).After command of an Mountain Brigade he was posted as commandant of School of Infantry and Tactics (SI&T) in Quetta (1981 - 1984).
Arif Bangash was commissioned in the Punjab Regiment on 18 October 1959 in the 20th PMA Long Course. He was a course-mate of Lieutenant General Farrakh Khan and General Abdul Waheed Kakar, the army chief He was promoted to the rank of major general in 1984 and served as Inspector General Frontier Corps (1984 - 1986) and later commanded 9th Infantry Division at Kohat (1986 - 1989).
During his stay in Kohat, Bangash founded Garrison Cadet College Kohat.
He was promoted as lieutenant general in August 1989 and served as Inspector General Training and Evaluation (IGT&East) at the GHQ (1989 - 1991). From there, he went on as Commander V Corps, Karachi (1991 - 1992) overseeing the deteriorating situation in Karachi and Quarter-Master General at the GHQ (1992 - 1994).He retired from Army as Quartermaster general in 1994.
Arif Bangash took over as Managing Director of Fauji Foundation in April 1996 and stayed there till Oct0ber1996. Later he was appointed the governor of North-West Frontier province on November 11, 1996 where he replaced Major General (retd) Khurshid Ali Khan.
He stayed as governor for less than three years before he resigned on 17 August 1999.
