Appointment of new DGMO part of routine: ISPR

ISPR dispels impression that appointments were made following the LoC tensions.

ISLAMABAD:

Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Monday dispelled the impression that appointment of Major General Amir Riaz as new Director General Military Operations (DGMO) had a relation with the recent Line of Control (LoC) situation.

“The appointment of new DGMO or any other military official is part of routine reshuffle that is performed after approval of promotions by the Army’s Promotion and Selection Board and there is nothing neither confidential nor controversial,” an official of ISPR told The Express Tribune.

He said four major generals had been promoted to the rank of lieutenant general. These included Major General Ashfaq Nadeem Ahmed, Major General Zamir-ul-Hassan Shah, Major Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, Maj Gen Javed Iqbal.



“Major General Ashfaq Nadeem served as the DGMO from April 2011 till August 8, 2013. He has been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General and is waiting for his new posting,” he said.

The appointment of Major General Riaz as the DGMO comes amidst tension between India and Pakistan on the LoC.

Major General Riaz, formerly serving as head of the 111 Brigade, was also among the witnesses against Brigadier (retd) Ali Khan, who was convicted for having links with the banned organization, Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT).

According to a report published in the BBC, Riaz was promoted to the rank of major general following his testimony against Brigadier Ali.

According to the report, Ali had tried to recruit Riaz in HuT, but could not make it.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 13^th, 2013.