ISLAMABAD, April 8 Vice-Chief of General Staff Maj-Gen Waheed Arshad, Director General of counter-terrorism wing of Inter Services Intelligence Maj-Gen Rashad Mehmood and General Officer Commanding of the Special Services Group Maj-Gen Haroon Aslam have been promoted as three-star generals, according to sources.

The sources said that four lieutenant generals, including two corps commanders, would be retiring on May 1 and the promoted officers would be filling up the positions falling vacant.

Those retiring in May are Lt-Gen Ejaz Ahmad Bakshi, Lahore Corps Commander; Lt-Gen Nadeem Ahmad, Mangla Corps Commander; Lt-Gen Sajjad Akram, Chairman of Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority; and Lt-Gen Ahsan Azhar Hayat, Inspector General Training and Evaluation at General Headquarters.

The sources said the promotions clearly meant that none of the officers on verge of retirement would be getting extension.

Asked why only three promotions took place when four positions were to fall vacant, the sources said the ERRA had not sought the services of a serving lieutenant general and a civilian might take over as deputy chairman of the organisation.

The sources said Lt-Gen Asif Yasin Malik, who was promoted as a three-star general last month, will take over as Peshawar Corps Commander on April 11 when the incumbent corps commander relinquishes charge of his office.

Lt-Gen Masood Aslam, the current Peshawar Corps Commander still has months to go before his extended term in service expires, but he is not interested in continuing. His son was among those killed in a terrorist attack at a mosque in Rawalpindi.

Maj-Gen Waheed Arshad before his appointment as VCGS in September 2008 was the Director General Planning at the Chief of Army Staff Secretariat. He has also served as Director General of Inter Services Public Relations and General Officer Commanding (Mechanised Division) Bahawalpur.

Maj-Gen Rashad Mehmood has commanded infantry division in Jhelum. Maj-Gen Haroon Aslam before his assignment with ISI has served as Director General Rangers (Punjab). He has also commanded an infantry division at Quetta.

Meanwhile, Maj-Gen Nadir Zeb has been appointed as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Armoured Division, Multan. The office had fallen vacant after the demise of Maj-Gen Shahid Hamid on April 26.

Maj-Gen Nadir Zeb was one of the 29 brigadiers recently promoted as two-star generals and the only among them from the armoured corps.