In military shuffle, Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum replaces Lt Gen Faiz Hameed as top spymaster

Published October 6, 2021
New ISI chief Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum (L) and Lt Gen Faiz Hameed. — Photo courtesy ISPR/File
New ISI chief Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum (L) and Lt Gen Faiz Hameed. — Photo courtesy ISPR/File

Lieutenant General Nadeem Ahmed Anjum has been appointed as the new director-general of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the military's media affairs wing announced on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, formerly the ISI director general, has been posted as the Peshawar corps commander.

In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced other postings as well, saying Lt Gen Mohammad Saeed has been posted as the Karachi corps commander, Lt Gen Nauman Mehmood has been appointed the president of the National Defence University, and Maj Gen Asim Malik has been promoted to the rank of lieutenant general as well as appointed the army's adjutant general.

Earlier, the ISPR announced that Lt Gen Mohammad Amir has been posted as Gujranwala corps commander, while Lt Gen Asim Munir has been appointed as the quarter master general.

The appointment of the ISI director general is the prerogative of the prime minister. The spymaster's choice is, however, made by the prime minister in consultation with the army chief.

Lt Gen Anjum was previously the commander of Karachi Corps. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general in September 2019.

Hailing from the Pakistan Military Academy's 78th Long Course and the Punjab Regiment, Lt Gen Anjum has also served as the commandant of the Command and Staff College, Quetta.

The new DG ISI has also previously remained the inspector general of the Balochistan Frontier Corps (North) and commanded a brigade in Kurram Agency, Hangu.

A graduate of UK's Royal College of Defence Studies, Lt Gen Anjum also holds a degree from the Asia-Pacific Centre for Security Studies, Honolulu.

Lt Gen Anjum is a native of Mohra Sheikhan, Kontrilla, in Rawalpindi district's Gujar Khan.

The outgoing DG ISI, Lt Gen Hameed, was given the role on June 16, 2019, in a surprise military shake-up. He had previously served in the ISI as the head of internal security and is believed to be a close confidant of Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa.

Gen Faiz is from the Army’s Baloch Regiment. His appointment had come at a very crucial time when both external and internal security challenges seemed to be growing.

His name first caught public eye over his role in ending the Faizabad dharna by the now-banned Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) in November 2017 through an agreement. The group had then staged the sit-in against amendments to the Elections Act 2017.

Lt Gen Mohammad Amir is currently serving as the adjutant general. He has also served as the General Officer Commanding Lahore.

Lt Gen Asim Munir was serving as the Corps Commander Gujranwala. He served as the ISI director general prior to Gen Hameed.

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