ISLAMABAD – Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said he is unaware of any development regarding extension in the tenure of ISI DG Lt-Gen Nadeem Anjum.
The 73-year-old politician said this during an interview with a news channel. When the anchorperson asked if the government is going to give extension to the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) director general, the minister said he did not know anything about it.
“It means there was no such development as a section of the media claimed that extension has been granted?” the anchorperson asked.
In response, Khawaja Asif said he was not aware of any such development, adding that the government’s tenure would end in a few days and “if something has to happen, it will happen during these days”.
The discussion comes as reports said the government is planning to give extension to the ISI DG for a year, as his tenure is going to end in September this year. Lt-Gen Nadeem Anjum was appointed head of the country’s premier spy agency in November 2021.
These reports coincide with a major development in the Senate of Pakistan where a bill proposing key amendments to the Army Act 1953 was passed on Thursday. The bill titled the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Act 2023 was moved by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif.
Amid other amendments, the bill proposed introducing Section 26-B, which states that those who have “remained posted, employed, seconded, tasked or otherwise attached on sensitive duties” are forbidden from taking part in “political activity of any kind, during a period of five years from the date of his retirement, release, resignation, discharge, removal or dismissal from the service”.
The bill also proposed adding Section 26-A (unauthorised disclosure) to the act under which “anyone who discloses or causes to be disclosed any information, acquired in official capacity, which is or may be prejudicial to the security and interest of Pakistan or the armed forces of Pakistan, shall be […] punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years”.
