ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Army has announced the appointment of a new head of the country’s premier intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said on Wednesday.
Lt. Gen. Asim Munir was promoted to the new rank on Sept. 28. He previously served as director general of military intelligence.
The ISPR also confirmed the appointment of Lt. Gen. Muhammad Adnan as the new vice chief of general staff.
Five other senior army officers were promoted to replace officials who retired on Oct. 1. The army appointed Lt. Gen. Nadeem Zaki as commander of the Mangla Corps, one of the military’s two primary strike corps.
Lt. Gen. Shaheen Mazher was appointed as commander of the Peshawar Corps, a strategic position responsible for the tribal belt bordering Afghanistan.
Lt. Gen. Abdul Aziz was appointed as the new military secretary, Lt. Gen. Azhar Saleh Abbasi as chief of logistics staff, and Lt. Gen. Waseem Ashraf as inspector general of arms.
Pakistan appoints new ISI chief
Pakistan appoints new ISI chief
- Lt. Gen. Asim Munir will take charge as Pakistan's new spy chief after his predecessor retires on Oct. 25
- The newly appointed director general of Pakistan's premier spy agency, the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), has previously served as Military Intelligence chief
Pakistan says Indian minister initiated handshake in Dhaka, first contact since May conflict
- Pakistan’s Ayaz Sadiq and India’s Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met on the sidelines of Khaleda Zia’s funeral
- The National Assembly of Pakistan says Islamabad has consistently emphasized dialogue with New Delhi
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Wednesday Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar initiated a brief handshake with Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq in Dhaka, marking the first high-level contact between the two nuclear-armed rivals since their military conflict in May.
The encounter took place on the sidelines of the funeral of former Bangladeshi prime minister Khaleda Zia, attended by senior officials and diplomats from multiple countries.
Ties between India and Pakistan have remained frozen since a four-day military confrontation in May, during which both sides exchanged missile, drone and air strikes before a ceasefire brokered by Washington.
“During Speaker NA Sardar Ayaz Sadiq’s visit to the Parliament of Bangladesh ... the Indian External Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar approached the Speaker National Assembly and [shook] hands,” Pakistan’s National Assembly said in a post on social media platform X.
It added that Jaishankar introduced himself to Sadiq during the brief interaction. India has not commented publicly on the exchange.
“It is noteworthy that Pakistan has consistently emphasized dialogue, restraint, and cooperative measures, including proposals for peace talks,” the post continued.
Tensions between the two neighbors escalated in April after a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir killed more than 20 tourists. New Delhi blamed Pakistan for supporting the attack, an allegation Islamabad denied, calling instead for an independent and transparent investigation.
Officials from both countries have largely avoided public interactions since the conflict, with senior figures refraining from handshakes or exchanges at international gatherings.
Sadiq was in Dhaka to attend Zia’s funeral and to convey condolences from Pakistan’s leadership and people. He also met Zia’s son Tarique Rahman, the acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, according to Pakistan’s high commission in Bangladesh.
Speaking to Pakistan’s Geo TV, Sadiq confirmed that Jaishankar approached him in full media glare and exchanged pleasantries.
Responding to a question about being photographed with the Indian minister, he said: “Cameras arrived with them. Our people took the photographs later.”
