Islamabad, Oct 8: The director general of Pakistan’s powerful spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence of ISI Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar is likely to be replaced in next few days, reported Pakistan media. Pakistan website The Nation has carried out a report claiming that ISI chief Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar will be replaced soon. The official term of ISI chief is of three years. But Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar is expected to leave the post of the ISI chief before his tenure ends. The corps commander of Karachi, Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar is expected to become the new director general of the ISI. However Pakistan has denied report of ISI chief Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar’s replacement.
According to the report of The Nation, which has quoted senior government officials, the replacement of Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar depends on whether the army chief, General Raheel Sharif, gets an extension or retires. Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar may be leaving the position earlier than the typical three-year tenure of a ISI DG and Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar, is most likely to replace him, said the report. However the chief military spokesperson denied the report saying Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar will complete his three-year tenure. “No such thing,” said Lt Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa, the chief military spokesman, when asked about the possible development.
“It depends on whether the army chief, Gen Raheel Sharif, gets an extension or retires as announced. I don’t think the notification of other changes in military command will come before that. There are a lot of variables involved,” a Pakistan government official was quoted as saying. The retirement of Pakistan army General Raheel Sharif has been one of the most talked about affairs in Pakistan. However General Raheel Sharif had announced earlier this year that he is not seeking an extension and would take retirement in November, speculation ran rife that Pakistan may witness another military coup if he changes his mind. (ALSO READ: Pakistan increases military deployment along LoC in PoK; could India-Pakistan go to full-scale war?)
Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar was appointed as the head of ISI in September 2014 and took office in November 2014. Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar succeeded Zaheerul Islam. The ISI was established in 1948 in order to strengthen the sharing of military intelligence between the three branches of Pakistan Armed Forces.