New ISI Head Appointed by Pak Army Chief Bajwa in Major Reshuffle

Nawaz Sharif’s govt had told the army to either act against terrorists or face international diplomatic isolation.

General Qamar Bajwa. (Photo: PTI)

Pakistan's new army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Sunday abruptly removed the head of the country's spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and made several other significant changes in the army's top brass, as part of a major reshuffle.

Gen Bajwa, who took over from Gen Raheel Sharif two weeks ago, appointed Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar as Director-Genereal of the notorious ISI, replacing Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar, the army said in a statement.

Lt Gen Akhtar, who was at the centre of a controversy following a Dawn newspaper report, which said that Pakistan's Nawaz Sharif-led government had told the army to either act against terrorists or face international diplomatic isolation.

According to the statement, the newly-promoted Lt Gen Bilal Akbar has been appointed Chief of General Staff, while Lt Gen Nazir Butt – presently President of the NDU – has been appointed Corps Commander Peshawar (11 Corps), replacing Lt Gen Hidayat-ur Rehman, who was appointed Inspector-General Training and Evaluation (IGT&E) at General Headquarters (GHQ).

The appointments are seen as a move by the new army chief Gen Bajwa to put in place a 'new team' after he took charge on 29 November as the 16th Chief of Army Staff.

Who Is Lt Gen Mukhtar

The new ISI chief Lt Gen Mukhtar possesses a vast experience in the field of intelligence and has headed the counter-terrorism wing of the spy agency in Islamabad.

He was commissioned in the Armoured Corps regiment in 1983.

Gen Mukhtar was last posted in Karachi, where the he commanded the corps. He has served in operations directorate of the army as well as commanded a brigade in South Wasiristan.

A graduate of the Command and Staff College, Quetta, National Defence University, Islamabad, and War Course USA, Mukhtar has also commanded a Mechanised Division.

Among other changes Gen Bajwa undertook on Sunday, Lt Gen Asim Salim Bajwa, presently heading the army's media wing, has been appointed Inspector-General Arms (IG Arms) at GHQ.

The new army chief has not announced the names of incoming heads of ISPR and Rangers in Sindh. Officials said he might consult the political leadership before making “politically-sensitive appointments.”

(With inputs from PTI, Dawn)