ISLAMABAD, Sept 1: Two former spymasters, retired Lt Gen Hamid Gul and retired Gen Ehsanul Haq, have emerged as candidates for election to the slot of president of the Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Society, which represents over 400,000 retired personnel.
Both Gen Gul and Gen Haq have submitted their nomination papers to the society’s election commission. The elections are scheduled to be held on Sept 15. The two retired generals served as director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) during the US-backed wars in Afghanistan.
Gen Gul served as the ISI chief from 1987 to 1989. This was the time when the US-backed war in Afghanistan against the Soviet forces was in its last stages. He continued working at the spy agency after the war. During his tenure in the ISI, Gen Gul reportedly helped right-wing politicians create the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad.
In May 1989 the-then prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, transferred Gen Gul from the ISI and made him Commander of II Corps, Multan. He resigned from service when he was posted as director general of the Heavy Industries Taxila. Born in Sargodha in 1936, Gen Gul joined army in 1954. During the 1965 war he was a tank commander and was awarded Sitara-i-Jurat for bravery.
Talking to Dawn, Gen Gul said his well-wishers had persuaded him to contest the society’s elections. Former servicemen could play an active role in easing the crises of terrorism, corruption and lawlessness.
“During the service and after retirement I always struggled for defence of the borders of the motherland and strived for the supremacy of law. I along with my son Abdullah Gul was kept in jail for actively supporting deposed judges and protesting against military dictator Pervez Musharraf,” he said.
“If elected, I will try to unite the ex-servicemen’s organisations, namely the Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Society ... and the Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Association. In the past too I made some efforts for bringing together the society and the association.” Gen Gul is an active member of both the bodies of former servicemen.
Gen Haq retired as a four-star general. He was born in Mardan in 1949 and got commissioned in the army in 1969. He became director general of the ISI on May 14, 2001 after retired Gen Pervez Musharraf removed Lt Gen Mahmood Ahmed Malik from the spy agency.
Gen Haq was promoted as four-star general in October of 2004 and was appointed as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJSC).
Despite repeated attempts, Gen Haq could not be contacted for comments.
Major Qamaruz Zaman Kayani, an aide of Gen Haq, told Dawn that the agenda of Gen Haq was not too different from that of Gen Gul.
“Gen Haq is younger than Gen Gul and he can devote more time and energy to the organisation,” he said.
Major Kayani expressed possibility of withdrawal of nomination papers by one of the two candidates which would result in an unopposed election for the other.
