ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s military has announced a major reshuffle in its senior posts, including appointing a new chief for the country’s top spy agency.

A statement late on Sunday said Lt. Gen. Naveed Mukhtar will replace Lt. Gen. Rizwan Akhtar as the Inter-Services Intelligence chief. ISI has often been criticized of cultivating ties with militant groups and interfering in domestic politics.

The appointment comes days after Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa was named new army chief. His predecessor Gen. Raheel Sharif retired on Nov. 29.

The reshuffle involves a total of 11 new appointments, including that of spymaster and Lt. Gen. Bilal Akbar who is taking over as chief of the army general staff.

Pakistan’s powerful army has ruled the country for most of its history since independence from Britain in 1947. </s> Pakistan has named a new head of its military Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI).

The Pakistani military said in a statement on December 11 that Lieutenant General Naveed Mukhtar was appointed as director-general of the ISI, replacing Lieutenant General Rizwan Akhtar.

The move comes two weeks after the chief of the army’s staff was replaced.

Mukhtar previously served as commander of the V Corps in the port city of Karachi for the past two years. He also previously served as the ISI’s counterterrorism wing.

Akhtar will become president of the National Defense University, the military said in the statement.

Both the military and the ISI are very powerful in Pakistan, with the army having ruled the country for almost half the time since it gained independence in 1947.

The ISI has been accused of backing Islamist militants in neighboring Afghanistan and India, charges that it denies.

Mukhtar is a graduate of the National Defense University in Islamabad and the United States Army War College in Pennsylvania.

Based on reporting by Reuters, The Nation, and Financial Express

Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
• New ISI chief for ‘aggressive measures’ against India in Afghanistan </s> Pakistan’s new Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Sunday removed the head of the country’s spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) as part of a major reshuffle.

Gen. Bajwa, who took over from Gen. Raheel Sharif two weeks ago, however, did not name Lt. Gen. Rizwan Akhtar’s successor.

Lt. Gen. Akhtar has been appointed president of the National Defence University (NDU), the Army said in a statement.

Later, Dawn newspaper reported Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), ISI’s media wing, as telling that Lt. Gen. Naveed Mukhtar will replace Lt. Gen. Akhtar as the ISI head.

Lt. Gen Mukhtar possess vast experience in the field of intelligence and has headed the counterterrorism wing of the spy agency in Islamabad. He was commissioned in the Armoured Corps regiment in 1983. </s> Lt. Gen Naveed Mukhtar was appointed as director-general of the ISI, replacing Lt. Gen Rizwan Akhtar, who is being moved to the post of president of the National Defence University, according to a statement by the military's press wing late on Sunday.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday picked Lieutenant General Qamar Javed Bajwa to replace outgoing army chief Raheel Sharif, the popular military leader credited with improving security and driving back Islamist militant groups.

The army is arguably the most influential institution in Pakistan, with the military having ruled the country for about half of its 69-year history since independence from Britain and enjoying extensive powers even under civilian administrations.

By turn, the head of the ISI occupies one of the most important posts in Pakistan. The agency has long been accused of supporting Islamist militants targeting neighbor and arch-foe India as well as sheltering the Afghan Taliban and other militants.

Pakistan's government and military deny any links to militants.

Mukhtar had most recently been assigned as corps commander of Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, and had previously headed the counterterrorism wing of the ISI in the capital, Islamabad, according to Dawn newspaper. </s> India is bracing itself for a fresh round of backroom power play in Kabul after Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar’s (in pic) appointment as head of Pakistan spy agency, ISI. Gen Mukhtar is regarded as an old Afghanistan hand.



 Pakistan new army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa is settling down with key appointments of new formations and other commanders.



 Lt Gen Bilal Akbar was named as the chief of general staff (CGS), one of the key positions in the Pakistan Army, which handles intelligence and operations. Lt Gen Sher Afgun will be the corps commander, Bahawalpur.



 New Delhi sees Afghanistan heating up after Naveed Mukhtar takes over as the ISI boss. He was commanding the Karachi corps and is known to have strong views on Afghanistan, where Pakistan and India have been locked in a shadow war.



 Mukhtar is the author of a paper “Afghanistan — Alternative Futures and their implications,” which he wrote for his master’s degree in strategic studies.



 The paper provides an insight into his mind, as he strongly advocated the need for countering India in Afghanistan. He felt that New Delhi’s hold over Kabul should be weakened.



 The views are in line with Pakistan Army’s policy to keep the Taliban flag fluttering in Afghanistan, so as to keep intact its influence over Kabul. The Pakistan Army has supported Taliban, which has irked Afghanistan to the extent that it openly talks about Islamabad’s meddling in its affair.



 India feels that Mukhtar is likely to continue with the old policy and is well prepared to handle the situation. There is a view in New Delhi that the recent surgical strikes across the Line of Control by the Indian Army has sent a strong message to Islamabad that any violation will invite costs. A similar strategy has been adopted in Afghanistan where India will not allow its installations to be targeted. The Afghan government is firmly siding with India, said officials, who also point out that there is not going to be any change in that equation. Mukhtar, an armoured corps officer, is said to have been picked up by prime minister Nawaz Sharif, even though there is no confusion in India that the Pakistan Army makes its own choices while placing generals in key positions.



 Mukhtar replaces Rizwan Akhtar, who was transferred to the National Defence University, Islamabad. Akhtar has also commanded a brigade in South Waziristan. He had earlier done a stint in the ISI . In other appointments Lt Gen Nadeem Raza will be the Rawalpindi corps commander while Lt Gen Nazir Butt will now head the Peshawar corps.



 Pakistan Army’s information wing chief Lt Gen Asim Bajwa, will now be inspector general arms at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. </s> Islamabad: Pakistan's new army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Sunday abruptly removed the head of the country's spy agency ISI and made several other significant changes in the army's top brass, as part of a major reshuffle.

Gen Bajwa, who took over from Gen Raheel Sharif two weeks ago, however, did not name Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar's successor at the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Lt Gen Akhtar has been appointed President of the National Defence University (NDU), the army said in a statement.

The newly-promoted Lt Gen Bilal Akbar has been appointed Chief of General Staff, it said.

Lt Gen Nazir Butt - presently President of the NDU - has been appointed Corps Commander Peshawar (11Corps), replacing Lt Gen Hidayat-ur Rehman, who was appointed Inspector-General Training and Evaluation (IGT&E) at General Headquarters (GHQ).

Lt Gen Asim Salim Bajwa, presently heading army's media wing, has been appointed Inspector-General Arms (IG Arms) at GHQ.

On December 9, seven major generals were promoted to lieutenant generals, the statement said. And On November 29, Gen Javed Bajwa officially took charge as the 16th Chief of Army Staff during a ceremony in Rawalpindi.

A career infantry officer belonging to the Baloch Regiment, Gen Javed Bajwa is said to have extensive experience of handling affairs in Kashmir and northern areas of Pakistan.

Amont other changes he undertook today, the newly promoted Lt Gen Hamayun Aziz has been appointed Inspector General C&IT at GHQ, while newly promoted Lt Gen Qazi Ikram has been appointed Chief of Logistic Staff at GHQ.

Another newly promoted Lt Gen Sher Afgun has been posted 31 Corps Commander which is based in Bahawalpur near Indian border, while newly Promoted Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal will continue as DG FWO and newly promoted Lt Gen Naeem Ashraf has been appointed Chairman Heavy Industries Taxila(HIT).

The army chief has not appointed heads of ISI, ISPR and Rangers in Sindh.

Officials said the army chief might consult the political leadership before making these "politically sensitive appointments." </s> ISLAMABAD: The Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has summoned the emergency federal cabinet meeting today (Tuesday) to evolve theÂ the strategy in wake ofÂ US president Donald Trump's latest statement , in which he leveled unfounded allegations on Pakistan. While the National Security Committee (NSC) will meet on Wednesday.

The meeting will discuss the Trumpsâ anti-Pakistan statement, formulating the strategyÂ to tackle the challenges can be facedÂ afterÂ this new controversy. The issues related to countryâs security situation would also be taken into consideration in the meeting.

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will chair NSC meeting which would beÂ attended by senior civil and military officials, including the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee, services chiefs, ministers of defence, interior, foreign affairs and finance.



Inter-Services Intelligence Director General Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar and National Security Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Nasser Janjua are also expectedÂ to attend that crucial meeting.

The meeting would discussÂ the trump's latest tweet in which he accused Islamabad of harboring violent extremists and lying about it. Ongoing military operations on the Pak-Afghan border as well as the internal security situation of the country and the situation along the Line of Control in Kashmir would also be discussed.



According to details, the US President Donald Trump on Monday tweeted that Pakistan has received 33 billion dollars from United States in aid over the last 15 years, and what t gave in returnÂ Â ânothing but lies and deceitâ.



He added thatÂ Islamabad thinks of US leaders âAs Foolsâ.



The US presidentâs streak of unfounded allegations against Pakistan has been a trend since Trump announced the administrationâs latest national security strategy.



Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, in response to a tweet by US President Donald Trump, said that Pakistan has already refused to âdo moreâ for the United States.

It is learnt that soon after Trumpâs tweet came to the fore, Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif called on Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and briefed him on the situation. The prime minister also contacted Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa over telephone and discussed the situation in detail.



Earlier on Monday, commenting on the United States President Donald Trump'statement , Special Assistant to the prime minister, Dr. Musadik Malik said that being a responsible nation Pakistan would respond to Trump's latest tweet in line of international diplomatic norms. </s> Intelligence chiefs of Russia, China, Iran and Pakistan gathered in Islamabad on Tuesday to discuss measures against the threat of aggregation of the Islamic State militants in Afghanistan, Russian news agency TASS has reported.

The official confirmation of the meeting came from Sergei Ivanov, chief of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service’s press bureau. The Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Sergei Naryshkin, represented Russia.

“The discussions focused on the dangers arising from a build-up of the Islamic State on the Afghan territory,” Ivanov said.

“The conference reached understanding of the importance of coordinated steps to prevent the trickling of IS terrorists from Syria and Iraq to Afghanistan from where they would pose risks for neighboring countries,” he said.

READ | Indian intelligence infiltrated Islamic State ring to track, arrest Afghan suicide bomber sent to hit Delhi

Sources in Delhi told The Indian Express that India has bilateral engagements with all the relevant agencies in Russia, China and Iran, especially on intelligence-sharing and counter-terrorism.

While New Delhi and Islamabad have not had bilateral engagement with each other on counter-terrorism cooperation, sources said they have cooperated under the rubric of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the past six months.

In January-February this year, New Delhi hosted a SCO meeting of counter-terrorism specialists, and Islamabad sent a top four-member team of counter-terrorism and intelligence specialists to attend the meeting.

Interestingly, all four countries which met in Islamabad on Tuesday are members of SCO, but sources said the meeting was not under the rubric of SCO.

Counter-terrorism meetings under SCO are organised under the aegis of Regional Anti-terrorism Structure (RATS), which is based in Tashkent in Uzbekistan.

For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App </s> Islamabad: Former cricket star Imran Khan was sworn-in as prime minister of Pakistan on Saturday, taking on the challenge of forming a coalition to govern as a currency crisis looms over the turbulent, nuclear-armed South Asian country.

Khan won the national election last month promising to fight corruption and drastically reduce poverty among Pakistan's 208 million mostly-Muslim people.

Hours after the oath-taking, Khan's office released a partial list of his choice of cabinet ministers and also announced the candidate for the office of president.

Asad Umer, former CEO of Pakistani multinational Engro, was appointed to the post of finance minister, party vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi to head the foreign office and former chief minister of the northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province Pervez Khattak was given charge of the defence ministry.

Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), or Justice Party, picked party stalwart Arif Alvi as its presidential candidate. The president will be voted in by lawmakers from Pakistan's upper and lower houses and the four provincial assemblies next month.
Pakistan appoints Lt. Gen. Naveed Mukhtar as the new head of the Inter-Services Intelligence.