PM mulling Ijaz Shah’s appointment as NSA

[Zarvan]

Retired brigadier is currently Prime Minister Imran Khan's party PTI. — File photo



ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan is considering appointing controversial retired Brig Ijaz Shah as his national security adviser (NSA), multiple sources told Dawn on Tuesday.

The national security adviser’s position has been lying vacant since the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) came to power in mid-August after last year’s general elections. Brig Shah is currently a PTI member of the National Assembly from the constituency of NA-118, Nankana Sahib-II.

The NSA’s job description says the adviser works to analyse conventional and non-conventional threats to Pakistan’s national security and prepares policy recommendations for countering them. He is also expected to engage with his foreign counterparts on national security issues.

Both the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had during their tenures appointed NSAs. PPP appointed retired Maj Gen Mahmud Durrani as NSA soon after coming to power in 2008, but he lost his job after admitting that one of the Mumbai attackers Ajmal Kasab was of Pakistani origin.

The PML-N appointed retired Lt Gen Nasser Janjua two years after forming government and he also served for some time in the following caretaker set-up.

Political controversy is expected if Brig Shah’s appointment gets through. Brig Shah remained a trusted aide of former president retired Gen Pervez Musharraf and served as director general of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) from 2004 to 2008. He was accused of using the IB for political victimisation.

Former prime minister and PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto had named him in a letter as someone who should be investigated if she was assassinated. She suspected him to be conspiring to eliminate her.

PPP leader Palwasha Khan, talking to reporters, said that Brig Shah was the one who worked for Gen Musharraf and “had links with Al Qaeda and Taliban”. Ms Bhutto, she recalled, had “nominated him as her possible assassin”.

As the home secretary of Punjab, Brig Shah was accused of midwifing the formation of the PML-Q and PPP-Patriots.

Omar Saeed Sheikh, who masterminded the kidnapping of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, had surrendered through Brig Shah.

Gen Musharraf had named Brig Shah as high commissioner to Australia, but Canberra refused to accept his nomination, forcing the government to withdraw it.

When contacted, a spokesman for the prime minister, Nadeem Afzal Chan, said he was unaware about any proposal for the appointment of NSA.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2019

https://www.dawn.com/news/1463502

 

[Verve]

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

If true, a bad idea - the optics will not play out well. Someone less controversial would be better and it's not like there aren't enough qualified candidates to choose from.

 

[Imad.Khan]

Raul Klasra reckons this is a good choice

https://www.facebook.com/

 

[mingle]

Brig r Ejaz shah is from Nankana Sb Mush era he was DG IB he is old player.

If true, a bad idea - the optics will not play out well. Someone less controversial would be better and it's not like there aren't enough qualified candidates to choose from.

Ejaz Shah is not controversial he was DG IB in Mush era he is elected MNA now I can tell u any person whom will get job has history u can create controversy with anything. U think DGs of Nawaz or Zardari era r not controversial?? Dawn gonna tell PM what to do??? He keep his suggestion for Bao jee

 

[nahtanbob]

Retired brigadier is currently Prime Minister Imran Khan's party PTI. — File photo



ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan is considering appointing controversial retired Brig Ijaz Shah as his national security adviser (NSA), multiple sources told Dawn on Tuesday.

The national security adviser’s position has been lying vacant since the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) came to power in mid-August after last year’s general elections. Brig Shah is currently a PTI member of the National Assembly from the constituency of NA-118, Nankana Sahib-II.

The NSA’s job description says the adviser works to analyse conventional and non-conventional threats to Pakistan’s national security and prepares policy recommendations for countering them. He is also expected to engage with his foreign counterparts on national security issues.

Both the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had during their tenures appointed NSAs. PPP appointed retired Maj Gen Mahmud Durrani as NSA soon after coming to power in 2008, but he lost his job after admitting that one of the Mumbai attackers Ajmal Kasab was of Pakistani origin.

The PML-N appointed retired Lt Gen Nasser Janjua two years after forming government and he also served for some time in the following caretaker set-up.

Political controversy is expected if Brig Shah’s appointment gets through. Brig Shah remained a trusted aide of former president retired Gen Pervez Musharraf and served as director general of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) from 2004 to 2008. He was accused of using the IB for political victimisation.

Former prime minister and PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto had named him in a letter as someone who should be investigated if she was assassinated. She suspected him to be conspiring to eliminate her.

PPP leader Palwasha Khan, talking to reporters, said that Brig Shah was the one who worked for Gen Musharraf and “had links with Al Qaeda and Taliban”. Ms Bhutto, she recalled, had “nominated him as her possible assassin”.

As the home secretary of Punjab, Brig Shah was accused of midwifing the formation of the PML-Q and PPP-Patriots.

Omar Saeed Sheikh, who masterminded the kidnapping of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, had surrendered through Brig Shah.

Gen Musharraf had named Brig Shah as high commissioner to Australia, but Canberra refused to accept his nomination, forcing the government to withdraw it.

When contacted, a spokesman for the prime minister, Nadeem Afzal Chan, said he was unaware about any proposal for the appointment of NSA.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2019

https://www.dawn.com/news/1463502

Is he the dude accused of hiding bin laden ?

 

[Pakistansdefender]

Do it immediately.....

 

[The Accountant]

Seems like person knows the business ... In the right hand he can deliver ...

 

[Mentee]

Is he the dude accused of hiding bin laden ?

No that drama was staged to make Obama win the second term .

 

[nahtanbob]

No that drama was staged to make Obama win the second term .

yup your army goes along with the blame of not finding the world's most wanted terrorist

 

[Kompromat]

Highly unlikely.

The spot for NSA might be scrapped and replaced with an institution.

 

[Hareeb]

Nope. I remember, after his retirement, Pasha was on a assignment in UAE on behalf of a foreign organization, and IMO, he could pose a security risk if he is appointed as NSA.

 

[Mentee]

yup your army goes along with the blame of not finding the world's most wanted terrorist

Do something, call u.n meeting, arrange an armada

Dude it'd have been an anti semitic act to assassinate an Arab hence we arranged a team of white Christians to do the job as they are quite good at killing Semites, well history tells us - - - - - -.

 

[Meengla]

yup your army goes along with the blame of not finding the world's most wanted terrorist

Cut the crap! The 1996 Atlanta Olympic bomber hid for a long time within half a day's drive despite all the surveillance cameras and the mighty FBI searching him..

 

[nahtanbob]

Cut the crap! The 1996 Atlanta Olympic bomber hid for a long time within half a day's drive despite all the surveillance cameras and the mighty FBI searching him..

the only difference is that the Atlanta bomber was a nobody before he was caught. Do not tell me a 6 foot 5 inch Arab with $25 million reward and a nice portrait could not be caught.