ISLAMABAD: The Prime Minister’s Office finally received a summary on Wednesday from the Defence Ministry on the appointment of a new director-general Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Well-placed sources said the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, during a meeting with the prime minister on Tuesday, convinced him about the appointment of a new DG ISI, which was followed by a summary containing the names of three lieutenant generals for the appointment of new DG ISI sent to the PM Office on Wednesday evening.

However, they said that the army chief has successfully persuaded the prime minister to appoint Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum as DG ISI.

The development came hours after Information Minister Information Fawad Chaudhry announced that consultations between the prime minister and the army chief regarding the appointment of DG ISI has been completed and the process of a fresh appointment is under way.

PM Office receives summary for DG ISI's appointment

In a tweet, the minister said the civil-military leadership has once again proved that all institutions are united for the country’s stability, integrity, and progress.

Last week, the ISPR had announced that Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum had been appointed as the new DG ISI, while Lt Gen Faiz Hameed was posted as corps commander Peshawar.

However, despite the passage of a week following ISPR announcements, a notification confirming Lt Gen Anjum’s appointment as new DG ISI was not issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.

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 the army chief. The appointment of DG ISI is a prerogative of the prime minister, but it is done in consultation between the prime minister and the army chief.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021