ISLAMABAD: The government on Friday named Lt Gen Muhammad Ali as the new defence secretary.

Lt Gen Ali, according to a notification of the Establishment Division, will take charge as the country’s 33rd defence secretary from Oct 1.

Currently posted as Quarter Master General at the General Head­quar­ters, Lt Gen Ali is retiring from active military service in next few days.

He is being re-employed on a contract for a period of two years and three months till Dec 31, 2026, according to the notification.

Lt Gen Ali is from the Artillery Regiment.

He has been serving as QMG since December 2022.

He had earlier served as the commander of Army Strategic Forces Com­mand after his promotion as a three-star general in November 2020.

Additional secretary at the defence ministry Maj Gen Amer Ashfaq Kayani took on the role of acting secretary since Aug 24, 2024, following Lt Gen (retd) Hamooduz Zaman Khan’s departure after completing his contract.

The defence ministry often functions as little more than a post office, acting as an administrative conduit between the government and military — handling paperwork and facilitating official communication between civilian leaders and military command, despite its formal role overseeing defence policy and managing armed forces.

In reality, the armed forces, especially the Pakistan Army operate on their own, bypassing the defence ministry in key strategic decisions.

Its limited authority is also reflected from the appointment of defence secretary, a position that has often been held by a freshly retired lieutenant general, who has served under the incumbent army chief.

This imbalance stems from the military’s historical dominance in country’s governance in general and execution of national security and foreign policies in particular.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2024