On Wednesday (6 October), Lt-Gen Nadeem Ahmed Anjum, the Karachi Corps Commander, was named Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the most coveted position in the military after the army chief.
In a dramatic reorganization that also included the new appointments of Karachi, Peshawar, and Gujranwala corps commanders, Gen Nadeem took over as head of the country’s top espionage agency from Lt-Gen Faiz Hameed.
The most important appointment, however, was the change of command at the ISI headquarters, also known as Abpara. Prime Minister Imran Khan approved the appointment of the DG ISI, and the military’s media wing confirmed the move in an official handout.
Gen Faiz, the outgoing Director-General of the ISI, has been assigned to the Corps Commander position in Peshawar. He was the chief of the ISI for 27 months, during which time he supervised the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and participated in behind-the-scenes talks aimed at bringing Pakistan and India closer together.
He formerly worked as the ISI’s DG Counterintelligence, a critical position that oversees the agency’s internal security.
The rearrangement and appointment of DG ISI were necessary because Gen Faiz has yet to command a corps, which is required to be eligible for the position of army commander. When the existing army chief’s extended-term finishes in November 2022, he will be one of the four senior-most generals.
According to the ISPR, the new DG ISI was commissioned into the Punjab Regiment’s Light Anti-Tank Battalion. Furthermore, he has a wide range of command, staff, and instructional expertise.
He attended the Combined Arms Centre in the United Kingdom, the Staff College in Quetta, the Advance Staff Course in the United Kingdom, the NDU in Islamabad, the APCSS in the United States, and the Royal College of Defence Studies in the United Kingdom. He has a master’s degree from King’s College, London, and a bachelor’s degree from NDU Islamabad.
According to a statement by ISPR, “General has vast experience of command in conventional as well as sub-conventional threat environment.”
Gen Nadeem commanded:
- An infantry brigade in South Waziristan agency.
- An infantry brigade in Kurram agency.
- Hangu during the Operation Zarb-e-Azb.
- He was IGFC Balochistan during the Operation Raddul Fasad.
He has taught at the PMA, Staff College, and the National Défense University. He was the commandant of Quetta’s Staff College. He has also served as the Chief of Staff of the Fifth Corps. Commander 5 Corps; Sindh was his most recent post.
The ISI is Pakistan’s top intelligence organization, entrusted with dealing with both internal and external threats. Its head, in theory, reports to the prime minister. The incoming ISI commander would be faced with several issues, including the Afghan scenario and tensions with India.
Other postings are:
- Lt-Gen Muhammad Aamer has been posted as Commander Gujranwala Corps.
- Lt-Gen Syed Asim Munir posted as the Quartermaster General (QMG).
- Lt-Gen Muhammad Saeed appointed as Commander Karachi Corps.
- Lt-Gen Nauman Mahmood as the President NDU.
According to the ISPR, Maj-Gen Muhammad Asim Malik has been promoted to lieutenant general and named Adjutant General of the Pakistan Army.
