New appointment process underway
Staff Reporter Islamabad
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Wednesday said the process of consultation between Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa over the appointment of the new director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence “has been completed”, and that the process of a fresh appointment “is underway”.
Chaudhry’s update on the matter came a day after his post-cabinet meeting press conference wherein he had said that “legal procedure” will be followed for the appointment of the new DG ISI, “for which both [Gen Bajwa and Prime Minister Imran] are in agreement”.
“The civil-military leadership has once again proven that all institutions are united for the country’s stability, integrity and progress.”
Last week, the military’s media affairs wing, Inter-Services Public Relations had announced that Lt Gen Anjum had been appointed the new ISI chief. Lt Gen Hameed, formerly the ISI director general, was posted as Peshawar corps commander.
However, despite the passage of many days following the ISPR announcements, a notification confirming
Lt Gen Anjum’s appointment as the new DG ISI was not issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, leading to feverish speculation in the federal capital.
The government had remained tight-lipped on the issue and finally broke its silence on Tuesday following a lengthy meeting between the prime minister and army chief.
Meanwhile, experts in defence matters say the procedure for the appointment of the ISI director general is neither mentioned in the Constitution nor the Army Act, and all past appointments were made as per traditions under which the army chief proposes three names to the prime minister who then makes the final decision.
