Lt Gen Faiz Hameed posted as Peshawar corps commander in military shuffle

Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed, formerly the director general of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), has been posted as the Peshawar corps commander, the military’s media affairs wing said on Wednesday.

In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced two other postings as well, saying Lt Gen Mohammad Amir has been posted as Gujranwala corps commander while Lt Gen Asim Munir has been appointed as the quarter master general.

The ISPR has yet to announce who will replace Gen Faiz as the ISI chief.

The appointment of the ISI director general is the prerogative of the prime minister. The spymaster’s choice is, however, made by the prime minister in consultation with the army chief.

The outgoing DG ISI was given the role on June 16, 2019, in a surprise military shake-up. He had previously served in the ISI as the head of internal security and is believed to be a close confidant of Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa.

Gen Faiz is from the Army’s Baloch Regiment. His appointment had come at a very crucial time when both external and internal security challenges seemed to be growing.

His name first caught public eye when he helped end the Faizabad dharna by a religious group in November 2017 through an agreement. The group had then staged the sit-in against amendments to Elections Act 2017.

Lt Gen Mohammad Amir is currently serving as the adjutant general. He has also served as the General Officer Commanding Lahore.

Lt Gen Asim Munir was serving as the Corps Commander Gujranwala. He served as the IS director general prior to Gen Faiz.