Intelligence Review-Volume Six

In 1970 COMPLETE PAKISTANI INTELLIGENCE ASSESSMENT OF 1970 ELECTIONS WAS FALLACIOUS AND RESULTED IN PAKISTANS BREAKUP IN 1971. MY FATHER SERVING AS A GSO 2 OPERATIONS OF 16 INFANTRY DIVISION DESCRIBED THESE B_____L SH____T INTELLIGENCE ASSESSMENTS SHARED WITH 16 DIVISION FROM 1969 TO 1971. GENERAL JILLANI HEADING ISI PROVED FAR MORE DANGEROUS THAN ANY INDIAN OR BENGALI SECESSIONIST FOR PAKISTAN . ALL ACTIONS ARE BASED ON ASSESSMENTS AND IF ASSESSMENTS ARE FALLACIOUS GRAND DIASASTERS SHOULD BE EXPECTED A senior Baloch leader met me in 2012.He wanted to meet Pakistans DG ISI and senior military intelligence man . I requested a three star who I highly respect and esteem. The three star told me that " these Int chaps think they are infallible and know everything about everything, they see any advice as despicable " I'm strongly against extension policy. Pakistan army doesn't produce Rommel or Guderian where a strong case for extension can be made. One can find three or four equally capable candidates for any job and extension is the single most important factor that causes friction among senior officers and not good for the institution. I will not favor extension to any senior officer. In case of Rabbani, General Sharif can announce his replacement and in the next four weeks, Rabbani can brief incoming commander for a smooth hand over. Troops have been deployed for over a decade and we didn't see any big change with change of command. The case of Zaheer is more important and his extension will have more damaging results. Promotions and posting of senior officers is army chief's sole prerogative and civilians usually have no role in the process. The only exception is DG ISI who though a serving army officer is appointed by Prime Minister. In the past, sometimes appointment to this office has caused friction between Prime Minister and army chief. It is very clear by now the mutual mistrust and in fact animosity between Nawaz Sharif and Zaheer in view of events cited above. If Zaheer is expressing his views candidly in the Corps Commanders conferences, I'm pretty sure that Nawaz Sharif is getting some hint of what is being deliberated at GHQ. If Zaheer is given an extension it will be likely continuation of his DG ISI tenure that will further deteriorate civil-military relations. It will be prudent for General Sharif to let Zaheer complete his tenure and use this opportunity of appointment of a new DG ISI to repair relations with Nawaz Sharif. If General Sharif goes with extension of Zaheer, Nawaz Sharif should remember Zardari-Pasha episode and resist continuation of Zaheer as DG ISI after October 2014. Prime Minister is the appointing authority for DG ISI and Nawaz Sharif should ask for three names from General Sharif and appoint one of them. It is very unlikely that even if Nawaz Sharif succumbs to General Sharif on this issue, he can get GHQ off his back. However, Nawaz Sharif is so weakened and unnerved and that he may not offer any resistance.