By Kamran Khan and Shakil Shaikh
KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: A major reshuffle in the Pakistan Army on Sunday saw two new generals, a new chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, premature retirement of the ISI Chief and Deputy chief of army staff and shifting of several corps commanders. The reshuffle was done as US and allied forces launched their much-awaited attacks on Afghanistan and military analysts saw a sidelining of all those elements who were not considered to be like-minded in the present demanding set of circumstances.
As Corps Commander of Lahore, Lt. General Mohammed Aziz was promoted to the rank of a full general and named Chairman of the JCSC, in a late night development, official sources confirmed, Lieutenant General Ehsanul Haq, corps commander of Peshawer, had been named as the new Director General Inter-services Intelligence (ISI), to replace superceded Lt. General Mahmood, who decided to retire.
Alongwith Lt General Muhammad Aziz Khan, Lt. General Muhammad Yousuf, Chief of General Staff Pakistan Army was also promoted to the rank of the General with immediate effect. General Yousuf was appointed Vice Chief of Army Staff," a brief ISPR announcement said. Earlier with these two promotions, and the two premature retirements of ISI Chief Lt. General Mahmood and Deputy COAS, Lt. General Usmani, who were superceded, the old team of the country's top military made for new faces as President General Pervez Musharraf's historic decision to completely overhaul Pakistan's Afghan policy started to take shape.
In another significant development , the corps commander Quetta Lt. Gen.Mohammad Mushtaq has also been tranferred. He will be replaced by Lt. Gen. Abdul Qadir Baluch , who was commanding the corps in Gujranwala. The new corps commander Gujranwala has not been named. At least two or more senior most major generals are expected to be promoted as three-star generals to fill the positions vacated in the latest reshuffle. It is for the first time in many years that the position of chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee has been separated from the office of the COAS as General Karamat kept on acting as CJCSC besides his post as Army Chief. General Musharraf, since his appointment as Army Chief on Oct. 7, 1998, also held this concurrent appointment.
Chairman NAB Lt. Gen. Khalid Maqbool, Commander 2-Corps, Lt. Gen. Syed Muhammad Amjad, Corps Commander Quetta Lt. Gen. Mushtaq Hussain are in line to be appointed as Chief of General Staff to replace General Yusaf, although several other names could also be considered. With Lt. Gen. Mohammad Yusuf and Lt. Gen. Aziz Khan's promotion as full generals, Pakistan Armyfor the first time since Gen. Zia-ul-Haq's days would have three four star generals, a move that would trigger a number of high level promotions in Pakistan Army.
Officials told The News that Lt. Gen. Hamid Javed , the chief of staff of President Musharraf , who also got superseded because of the promotions announced Sunday night has been requested by the President to stay on. Lt. Gen. Rao Zulfikar Ali Khan , an officer of the corps of engineer, also got superseded but he will continue as Chairman WAPDA.
This top level reshuffle at the GHQ means that Lt. Aziz Khan , Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Ahmad ud Ahmad , Lt. Gen. Muzzaffer Usmani -- who had served as the closest associates of General Musharraf , since he took power in a military coup that was staged by the same set of generals have now been asked to make way for a fresh team - and possibly for a new era of Pakistan's foreign and national security goals.
On October 12 1999, Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Ahmad than corps commander Rawalpindi had ordered his troops to take over the Prime Mninister;s house and the PTV and the general himself had went to arrest former prime minister Nawaz Sharif .Lt. Gen. Aziz than the chief of general staff at the GHQ had served as an anchor and had prevented Nawaz Sharif's hand picked team to take control of the GHQ. In Karachi Gen. Usmani had secured the safe landing of Gen. Musharraf's plane by defying orders from the former prime minister and his chosen COAS.
Because of his promotion as Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Committee, widely considered a ceremonial assignment in Pakistan's military hierarchy, Lieutenant General Mohammad Aziz Khan - the senior most corps commander before his promotion - would no more be involved in active day to day consultation and his presence would not be required during the corps commanders meetings - the crucial decision making forum of Pakistan Army.
As reports emerged late Sunday night that Lieutenant General Mahmoud Ahmed , the director general inter-services intelligence (ISI) has sought pre-mature retirement for being superseded by Lt. Gen. Aziz Khan -- who was junior to him by six months , the President, sources said, would like to make some consultations before he names Mahmoud's successor at the ISI , that would play a crucial role in the government's decision to fix a new direction for Pakistan's Afghan policy.
Because of his rank as the Deputy Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen.Usmani was closely associated , like Gen. Aziz and Mahmoud , with President Musharraf in crucial consultations on Pakistan' s reaction to the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11. Usmani is the senior most lieutenant general of Pakistan Army General Mohammad Yusuf , who would take over as the Vice Chief of Army Staff from today , is widely known in the army as a moderate armour corps officer with excellent professional credentials . Officials said that the new contours of Pakistan's Afghan policy would be finalised once the new team of key generals take their new assignments on Monday.