*Musharraf needs to be extra careful if and when he does doff the uniform…kaheen apnay ya Zia jaisa COAS na chun lay k laynay k deynay par jayen *
dawn
**Maj-Gen Nadeem Taj, once regarded as Gen Musharraf’s eyes and ears as head of the Military Intelligence, has been made director-general of the ISI and Maj-Gen Mohsin Kamal, who is little known in non-military circles, has been appointed as Corps Commander of Rawalpindi. As a brigadier, Gen Nadeem Taj had served as Gen Musharraf’s military secretary. He was later promoted as a two-star general, but he continued to serve in the same capacity when the army chief became the president.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*** ISI, Rawalpindi Corps get new chiefs **
*** Six major generals promoted
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: On the eve of doffing his uniform, President General Pervez Musharraf on Friday shuffled the top brass of the army to appoint loyalists in key slots in order to secure his future position as civilian president.
Musharraf has promoted six major generals to the rank of lieutenant general while appointing newly promoted Lt Gen Nadeem Taj as ISI DG in place of Lt Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani who will be appointed soon to a key position. He has also appointed newly promoted Lt Gen Mohsin Kamal in place of Rawalpindi Corps Commander Lt Gen Tariq Majeed who will also be appointed soon to another critical position. However, it has not yet been announced what positions would be given to Lt Gen Kiyani and Lt Gen Majeed who will retire from service on October 13 and December 31 respectively.
Being the senior most three-star generals, who are eligible for further promotion, it is expected that one of them might be promoted as four-star general and appointed JCSC chairman in place of Gen Ehsanul Haq who will retire on October 7 while the other will also be promoted to the rank of four-star general and appointed in place of VCOAS Gen Ahsan Saleem Hayat who will also complete his three-year tenure and retire on October 7.
If promoted, Lt Gen Kiyani and Lt Gen Majeed will get three-year tenures to serve as four-star generals.
Chief of General Staff Lt Gen Salahuddin Satti is also in line to be promoted to four-star generalship. Though his seniority number is ten among the top generals (excluding two senior three-star generals Khalid Kidwai (SPD DG) and Asif Hayat (GHQ) who have not commanded any corps), Lt Gen Satti is also a contender for the coveted position in the Pakistan Army.
The other senior three-star generals are Lt Gen Safdar Hussain (GHQ), Lt Gen Syed Athar Ali (JS Headquarters DG), Lt Gen Waseem Ashraf (Gujranwala Corps Commander), Lt Gen Imtiaz Hussain (Adjutant General, GHQ) Lt Gen Afzal Muzafar (QMG, GHQ), Lt Gen Hamid Rab Nawaz (IG T&E, GHQ) and Lt Gen Muhammad Sabir (military secretary). While Lt Gen Safdar Hussain will retire on March 12, 2008, all others will retire on October 8, 2008.
When contacted by Daily Times, ISPR DG Maj Gen Waheed Arshad asked the media to avoid speculations about the next vice chief of army staff and JCSC chairman and other promotions and appointments, saying “such matters are treated professionally”.
Other three star major generals who have been promoted to the rank of four-star general are Maj Gen Javed Zia (GHQ), Maj Gen Shujat Zamir Dar (ANF DG), Maj Gen Muhammad Asghar (rector of National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), Maj Gen Jamil Haider (GHQ). The promotion and posting of Maj Gen Nadeem Taj as ISI chief is ‘significant’ as he is believed to be a very close confidant of President Musharraf. Lt-Gen Taj was General Musharraf’s military secretary when the latter had taken over as Chief Executive on October 12, 1999. It is understood that President Musharraf will place all key loyalists and hardliners in the war against terrorism, insurgency, separatism and extremism in critical positions so that his famous “unity in command” approach continues after he doffs his uniform. With the ISI DG his trusted eyes and ears who cannot be changed by the next army chief (it is the PM’s prerogative), Musharraf hopes to keep a firm rein on the army.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\09\22\story_22-9-2007_pg1_1