Gen. Kayani Names New I.S.I. Chief

Adm. Mullen and Gen. Kayani-U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class William John Kipp Jr.

On Monday, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani publically announced the new chief of the Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI). Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha will assume the role of ISI Director-General. Lt. Gen. Pasha, in his new capacity, will be in direct contact with the CIA and has already met with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen. In the past, the ISI has been criticized for having ties with terrorist organizations, specifically al Qaeda.

The appointment of Lt. Gen. Pasha comes less than two months after the resignation of President Musharraf. Gen. Kayani also made a number of other changes, including appointing a new chief of general staff, promoting seven major generals, and changing four of his nine corps commanders. The Dawn points out that these changes are seen as "highly significant" considering the current tensions between the United States and Pakistan, stemming from the increasingly aggressive U.S. operations occurring along the Afghan-Pakistani border.