ISLAMABAD, April 2: Major General Mohammad Asif has been appointed director general of Military Intelligence (MI).

He replaces Major General Nadeem Ijaz who has been posted as the General Officer Commanding (GOC), Bahawalpur.

ISPR director general Maj-Gen Athar Abbas confirmed the posting.

Maj-Gen Ijaz was appointed as DG Military Intelligence by President Pervez Musharraf in his capacity as the army chief. He is said to be a close aide of President Musharraf and played a major role in decisions which sparked a judicial crisis last year.

In an affidavit submitted to the pre-PCO Supreme Court, Maj-Gen Ijaz had claimed that Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry wanted President Musharraf to dissolve the assemblies and hold elections under his supervision.