ISLAMABAD: After retreating from the brink of do or die situation, the Paksistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) government is now giving serious consideration to appoint lieutenant general, Nadeem Ahmad Anjum, as Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) chief.
Reliable sources confided to NEWSMAN on Wednesday that the government is seriously thinking to appoint lieutenant general, Nadeem Ahmad Anjum, as ISI director general. These sources said the Defence ministry has conveyed to the prime minister office that lieutenant general, Nadeem Ahmad Anjum, is the only choice of the military establishment for the appointment of the new ISI director general. The government seems divided over appointment of the new ISI chief. It had shown resentment over the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) announcement made with regard to replacing lieutenant general, Faiz Hameed, as ISI director general with lieutenant general, Nadeem Ahmad Anjum. Despite a formal announcement, the prime minister had sought a summary from the Defence ministry, having three names to pick one of them for Pakistan’s premier spy agency top slot.
Meanwhile, the government had intentionally dragged the case in the public by having discussion on the subject in the federal cabinet meeting chaired by prime minister, Imran Khan. Later, Information minister, Fawad Chaudhary, divulged on the issue at a weekly press briefing as it was a normal business of the government. The same evening PTI chief whip in the national assembly, Amir Dogar, gave the issue a dangerous twist by claiming in a TV channel show that the prime minister wants to keep incumbent ISI chief for a few more months.
These developments not only sent a mixed signal to the military establishment, but also created an impression that PTI government and the army top brass had differences on the appointment of new director general ISI.
Later, developments became even more alarming as the issue became a hot issue in the international media. Since ISI is a key institution of Pakistan’s security any controversial development was a big news for the international media. The government side without taking sensitivity involved and its repurcussion for Pakistan into consideration kept on issuing vague statements.
Not only this, the government’s circles started to debate to go to the last resort by dissolving the assembles if the controversy over appointment of new ISI does not settle down as per their requirements.
After taking into account all options including dissolving the assemblies, the government finally decided to retreat on the issue a couple of days ago. After change of mind, its hawkish cabinet members are inclined to appoint the nominee of the military establishment as a new director general ISI.