Pakistan appoints new spy chief

The appointment of Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar as head of the Inter Services Intelligence agency will be closely watched to see how it may affect the current impasse and civil-military relations.

ISLAMABAD // Pakistan on Monday named a new head of its main intelligence agency, considered the second most powerful official in the military after the army chief.

The naming of Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar as director general of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) agency comes as a protest movement to topple the government of prime minister Nawaz Sharif enters its second month.

His appointment will be closely scrutinised for any clues over how it may affect the current impasse and civil-military relations, in a country where the security establishment has traditionally wielded heavy political influence.

It was announced in a tweet by army spokesman Major General Asim Bajwa along with the promotions of other senior army officers. The current ISI chief Zaheer Ul Islam is to retire on October 1.

The final decision on appointing the chief rests with the prime minister, who was presented with a list of names to chose from.

Gen Akhtar, who was also promoted from major-general, previously headed the paramilitary force in the southern province of Sindh, where he oversaw a major operation against criminal syndicates and Taliban militants in Karachi that began last year.

The operation has reduced crime levels but was criticised by human-rights activists over allegations of extrajudicial killings and torture.

From 2007-2010 Gen Akhtar was posted in the South Waziristan tribal district along the Afghan border, a refuge for militant groups including the Pakistani Taliban.

* Agence France-Presse