ISLAMABAD - Four corps commanders and director general ISI are going to retire during the next three months and Lt Gen Naseer Janjua is being considered a strong contender for the top post of premier intelligence agency, The Nation has learnt.
According to the seniority list, five lieutenant generals are scheduled to be retired within next 90 days and the name of the outgoing generals are Corp Commander Mangla Tariq Khan, DG Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen Zaheer Ul Islam, Corp Commander Gujranwala Saleem Nawaz, Corp Commander Peshawar Khalid Rabbani and Corp Commander Karachi Sajjad Ghani.
According to the sources, Corp Commander Quetta Lt Gen Naseer Janjua is being considered as a strong candidate for the post of DG ISI after the retirement of the incumbent ISI chief. His previous carrier has made him the most favourite for this post. While Corp Commander Lahore Naveed Zaman is another strong candidate for the slot of DG ISI.
According to intelligence sources, Maj Gen Arif Warriach, who has previously served as DDG Internal in ISI, was the most favourite choice of military leadership but he has still not got the promotion as lieutenant general. Now he is on the number 82 in the seniority list.
The military sources said that the slot of Corp Commander Peshawar is much significant due to operation Zarb-e-Azb and Pak-Afghan border situation. Name of Lt Gen Ishfaq Nadeem, Lt Gen Javed Iqbal Ramdey, Maj Gen Razwan Akhtar, Maj Gen Hilal Hussain and Maj Gen Nadir Zaib are seriously under consideration for the position of corps commander Peshawar. The only criterion for this slot is an officer who had served previously on the western border.
According to the seniority list, other nine senior lieutenant generals will retire in 2015 during the tenure of Gen Raheel Sharif who will retire on November 2016.
The posting of DG ISI is the first significant appointment, which will take place within the army during the period of General Raheel Sharif as COAS. Although the prime minister will appoint the DG ISI yet it would be made with the consultation of Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif.
It would be the COAS who will give the list of three lieutenant generals to PM to appoint anyone for the said slot. It would also reflect the mind of General Raheel Sharif towards his future ambitions.
The tradition of the army is that every new COAS used to get appoint his new DG ISI and according to official sources the Nawaz government had requested General Raheel Sahrif that the incumbent DG ISI should be allowed to complete his tenure as DG ISI. Former COAS General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani had appointed General Zaheerul Islam on the recommendation of Gen Ahmad Shuja Pasha.
After the retirement of five lieutenant generals, new DG ISI and four corps commanders will be brought in the top hierarchy of army that will more strengthen the COAS for the promotions of senior officers.