A reluctant Imran Khan to release official notification for Lt Gen Anjum as ISI Chief

The nomination of Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum as the new leader of Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) may eventually happen, but not without escalating tensions.

According to GHQ sources, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is prepared to sign the notice appointing Lt Gen Anjum as ISI chief. ‘Imran wants to save his face and is likely to sign the relieving date of Faiz Hameed on November 15, 2021,’ said sources.

The joining date would be between October 21 and October 25, 2021, GHQ told negotiators Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Fawad.

Meanwhile, Pakistan army leader, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, has ordered Lt Gen Anjum to assume command. He has also made it a requirement for army chiefs to have at least a year of experience as a Core Commander.

Lt Gen Anjum’s appointment has caused a rift between Imran Khan and Gen Bajwa. General Bajwa informed Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a lengthy discussion on Monday night that the government cannot intervene in military issues.

Khan sought to keep departing ISI chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed until December, but Gen Bajwa told him it would be impossible. He told the Prime Minister that he could only keep Lt Gen Hameed until November 15. Khan was also instructed by the army chief that the ‘civil government’ should stay out of military affairs.

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Gen Bajwa also informed Khan that just because he and Lt Gen Hameed got along well, he couldn’t expect him to be retained forever. However, it has been reported that the two reconciled their disagreements during the meeting. Lt Gen Anjum’s appointment has caused uncertainty since the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has yet to issue an official notice, despite the fact that the announcement from General Headquarters, the Pakistan Army’s headquarters, was made five days ago.

According to sources close to Khan, during their meeting on Monday night, the PM made some suggestions that Gen Bajwa did not accept, including a change in the ISI’s structure.