Pakistan Army announced the appointment of Lieutenant General Naveed Mukhtar as Director General ISI

By.Asghar Ali Mubarak

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Army announced the appointment of Lieutenant General Naveed Mukhtar as the Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) replacing Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar.

In other major transfers and shuffle in ranks, the most significant changes came as former DG Rangers Sindh Lt Gen Bilal Akbar was posted as Chief of General Staff (CGS) and Lt General Rizwan Akhtar Baig (former DG ISI) as President National Defence University.

The development comes two weeks after Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa took over as Chief of Army Staff (COAS).

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement announced that Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar was appointed as DG ISI. He will replace Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar who has been posted as President National Defence University (NDU).

The seven major generals promoted to the rank of lieutenant general

Lt Gen Bilal Akbar has been appointed Chief of General Staff (CGS). The new CGS comes with a vast experience of dealing with internal security matters. Though his focus or responsibility as DG Rangers was Karachi, the transfer of Gen Bilal Akbar indicates the new COAS would like to give priority to internal security.

Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar presently serving as DG Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has been appointed President National Defence University (NDU). Lt Gen Nazir Butt, currently President NDU has been appointed Corps Commander Peshawar (11Corps). Lt Gen Hidayat ur Rehman, currently serving as Corps Comd Peshawar has been appointed Inspector General (IG) Training and Evaluation (IGT&E) at GHQ.

Similarly Lt Gen Asim Salim Bajwa, presently serving as Director General (DG) ISPR has been appointed Inspector General Arms (IG Arms) at GHQ. He was posted DG ISPR in June 2012 and promoted to Lt Gen in Sept 2015.

Newly promoted Lt Gen Hamayun Aziz has been appointed Inspector General C&IT at GHQ, while Lt Gen Qazi Ikram has been appointed Chief of Logistic Staff at GHQ. He was also among those promoted recently.

Newly promoted Lt Gen Sher Afgun has been posted 31 Corps Comd (Bahawalpur). Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal will continue as DG FWO. He was also recently promoted to the rank of Lt Gen. Newly promoted Lt Gen Naeem Ashraf has been appointed Chairman Heavy Industries Taxila(HIT).

The names for the incoming DG ISPR, DG Rangers have not yet been announced.

Naveed Mukhtar

Naveed Mukhtar was commissioned in the Armoured Corps regiment in 1983. He is a graduate of the Command and Staff College Quetta, National Defense University Islamabad and War Course USA. He had commanded a Mechanised Division.

Till Dec 7, he had been serving as corps commander of Karachi. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general and posted to the army’s Corps V in Sept 2014.

Let Gen Mukhtar possesses a vast experience in the field of intelligence. He had also headed the counterterrorism wing of the ISI in Islamabad.

Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar

General Rizwan Akhtar is a graduate of the Command and Staff College in Quetta, National Defense University and the Army War College, USA. Rizwan was commissioned in the Pakistan Army in Frontier Force Regiment in September 1982. He is from the Frontier Force Regiment and commanded the infantry brigade and infantry division in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

Previously as Sindh DG Rangers, Major General Rizwan Akhtar had been assigned with the task to lead the Karachi operation. But the military had replaced him as DG Rangers Sindh with another senior military officer.

Akhtar is also considered to have extensive experience of counterinsurgency from a previous posting in the border region of South Waziristan.

Lt Gen Bilal Akbar

Newly promoted Lt Gen, Bilal Akbar has been serving as Director General Pakistan Rangers, Sindh since August 2014.

During his tenure as DG Rangers, significant gains were made in ongoing Karachi operation. He was at the helm of affairs, when Rangers personnel in Karachi raided Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) headquarters in July last year.

Lt Gen Asim Bajwa

Asim Bajwa was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General from Major-General in Sept 2015. He was appointed as DG ISPR in 2012 by then COAS Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani.

Prior to his posting as DG ISPR, Bajwa was posted in Dera Ismail Khan as a general officer commanding. Under his leadership, the army conducted military operations in the South Waziristan tribal region to eliminate militancy and restore peace

Another significant change in rank was of DG ISPR Lt Gen Asim Salim Bajwa, who has now been posted as Inspector General Arms (IG Arms) at GHQ.

According to the ISPR list, following changes have been made:

  1. Lt Gen Bilal Akbar has been appointed Chief of General Staff.
  2. Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar presently DG ISI has been appointed President NDU.
  3. Lt Gen Nazir Butt presently President NDU has been appointed Corps Commander Peshawar (11Corps).
  4. Lt Gen Hidayat ur Rehman, presently Corps Commander Peshawar has been appointed Inspector General Training and Evaluation (IGT&E) at GHQ.
  5. Lt Gen Asim Salim Bajwa, presently DG ISPR has been appointed Inspector General Arms (IG Arms) at GHQ. He was posted DG ISPR in June 2012 and promoted Lt Gen in Sept 2015.
  6. Newly promoted Lt Gen Hamayun Aziz has been appointed Inspector General C&IT at GHQ.
  7. Newly promoted Lt Gen Qazi Ikram has been appointed Chief of Logistic Staff at GHQ.
  8. Newly promoted Lt Gen Sher Afgun has been posted 31 Corps Commander (Bahawalpur).
  9. Newly Promoted Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal will continue as DG FWO.
  10. Newly promoted Lt Gen Naeem Ashraf has been appointed Chairman Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT).
  11. Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar has been posted DG ISI.

On Dec 9, seven major generals were promoted to lieutenant generals, the ISPR had said. On Nov 29, General Qamar Javed Bajwa officially took charge as the 16th COAS during the Change of Command ceremony in Rawalpindi.

In 2014, then Major Gen Rizwan Akhtar was replaced by Maj Gen Bilal Akbar as DG Rangers Sindh. During Akbar’s assume of charge major focus remained Karachi operation that began in 2013.

Earlier this year, Rangers’ stay again got an extension in Sindh under Lt Gen Bilal Akbar. During his tenure, major events were witnessed such as raid of Muttahida Qaumi Movement headquarters (Nine Zero) and tackling of Aug 22 violence in Karachi.