Pak ISI Director General likely to be replaced soon

Pakistan media has reported that Lt. General Rizwan Akhtar, the Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI) is likely to be replaced within the next few weeks.

Lt. General Akhtar was appointed as the head of ISI in September 2014 and took office in November 2014.

Quoting official sources, the Nation states that a security official privy to the development, confirmed the impending change of command and said that preparations were underway for the changes.

However, he may be leaving the position earlier than the typical three-year tenure of a ISI DG.

The report further states that the corps commander of Karachi, Lt General Naveed Mukhtar, is most likely to replace him.

Another senior security official also speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Lt Gen Akhtar - who has already served in Karachi as Director General, Sindh Rangers - knows the challenges in Karachi and "the swapping makes sense.

Earlier this year, General Raheel Sharif had announced that he is not seeking an extension and would take retirement in November.

However, Lt General Asim Saleem Bajwa, the chief military spokesman, denied that the intelligence chief was being replaced.