New army postings quash rumours | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

New army postings quash rumours

Pakistan Press Foundation

ISLAMABAD: Geo News Islamabad Bureau chief Rana Jawwad has said in an interview with Geo News that new postings in the army are very important to counter the media hype about the involvement of the army in a conspiracy against the democratic government. This conspiracy was attributed to the protest leaders who stood on stage and those at the D-Chowk.

He said the new postings in the army have shown a pattern of thinking of Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif. He said the COAS is important with respect to security and the prime minister is important with respect to overall governance.

He said counterterrorism is top priority in new army postings. He said the new ISI chief has a vast counterterrorism experience and he was part of army operation in Wana. He said speculations were rife but a responsible government member has told him that the decision to appoint Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar as ISI chief was made sometime ago, adding that Nawaz and Gen Raheel were in agreement on the decision. Rana Jawwad made it clear that Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam will vacate the office of ISI DG on November 7 and Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar will take it over on November 8.

He said no other name was even under consideration for this post. He said the army has explained many times that it is not involved in politics.He said Gen Kayani had asked that Maj Gen Rizwan Akhtar be relieved from Karachi operation because he was to be given an important intelligence responsibility but Chaudhry Nisar was of the opinion that Lt Gen Akhtar is important for the operation. He said intelligence plays key role in operation against terrorism that has claimed many lives. He said Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam is professional and has made ISI number one agency of the world.

He said civil and military institutions are on one page. He said appointment of the ISI DG on the basis of consensus between the PM and the COAS has done away with the whisperings in Islamabad. He said the new officers will take up their responsibilities as soon as their predecessors vacate the office upon completion of their terms.

The News