ISLAMABAD: Three weeks after his nomination as the new boss of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency following a consensus between the army chief and Imran Khan, the prime minister’s office notified the appointment of Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmed Anjum as the new spy chief.
Anjum will assume charge on November 20, however, the notification announced. Until then, the incumbent spymaster Lt Gen Faiz Hameed “shall continue to hold charge”.
“The prime minister has seen and approved the appointment of … Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmed Anjum … as director general Inter-Services Intelligence, with effect from November 20, 2021, from the panel of officers,” a notification issued by the PMO dated October 26 said.
“After this detailed consultative process, name of Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum was approved as new DG ISI. The designate DG ISI shall assume charge on November 20, 2021,” the statement added.
The confirmation brought an end to weeks of speculation suggesting a rift between the civilian and military leadership that began October 7, day after a press statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced the reshuffle in the top military brass, posting out Hameed as the commander of Peshawar-based XI Corps and bringing in Anjum, a seasoned soldier who has battled hardened militants in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The PMO confirmed that a meeting held earlier between the prime minister and the army chief had discussed “the timing of change of command in ISI and selection of the new DG ISI.”
“During this process a list of officers was received from Ministry of Defence. Prime Minister interviewed all the nominees. A final round of consultation was held between the Prime Minister and Chief of Army Staff today,” added the PMO.
“After this detailed consultative process, name of Lt.Gen. Nadeem Anjum was approved as new DG ISI,” tweeted the PMO.
“The meeting was part of the ongoing consultation process between the Prime Minister and Chief of Army Staff about the timing of change of command in ISI and selection of the new DG ISI,” the statement added.
It merits mention that Lt Gen Anjum was a commander in Operation Zarb-e-Azb, and was posted inspector-general of the Frontier Corps Balochistan during Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad. He has also commandeered the V Corps Sindh.
Lt Gen Anjum is a graduate of the National Defense University, Islamabad and holds a master’s degree from King’s College London, the ISPR had earlier said.
Last week, Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum called on the prime minister, sources familiar with the development had informed Geo News.
No government official had spoken about the prime minister’s meeting with Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum.
It is pertinent to note that the appointment has been announced after three weeks’ alleged deadlock betwee the military and the government over the appointment of DG ISI.
Earlier on October 6, the ISPR had stated that Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum has been appointed as the new DG ISI and Lt Gen Faiz Hameed as the new Corps Commander Peshawar, but no official statement by the PMO has been made in this regard.
On October 12, Minister for Information & Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said that Prime Minister Imran Khan and Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa enjoy ideal relationship and the matter of appointment of Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (DG-ISI) would be resolved amicably.
Addressing a press conference following the federal cabinet meeting, the minister said the authority to appoint the DG of the ISI ‘lies with the prime minister’, and that the set procedure would be followed for the purpose.
‘The legal procedure will be followed in the appointment of the new DG-ISI, for which both [Gen Bajwa and Prime Minister Imran] are in agreement,” media outlets quoted the minister as saying.
Fawad Chaudhry said that Prime Minister Imran Khan and Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa have ideal civil-military relations and they both never take any steps that could disrespect each other.
He said both (PM Imran and Gen Bajwa) are in agreement over this and the prime minister has the authority over it. Chaudhry also appreciated the media for not “sensationalising” the matter of the DG ISI’s appointment.
Later on October 14, PM Imran Khan assured that the technical issues in the appointment of the Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (DG-ISI) would soon be resolved.
During the meeting, the PM said “no one has a better relationship with the military than him”, adding that there was no misunderstanding between the government and the military leadership.
Meanwhile, Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed has said that everything has been mutually decided and finalised and that the government and the military have a very good understanding.
As per the sources, a notification for the appointment of the DG ISI was to be made on Friday, before the PM’s departure to Saudi Arabia.
