Ex-ISI chief Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar hangs his boots

LAHORE: Former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) director general Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar has decided to take premature retirement, according to reports.

Seeking “premature release due to some pressing personal commitments”, Gen Rizwan, who is currently the president of the National Defence University in Islamabad, said in his resignation letter to Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa:

“I want everyone knowing me to respect my decision and not succumb or resort to speculation in any domain.”

Gen Rizwan further said that he has taken the decision with a “heavy heart but with great satisfaction” to “hang my uniform on 9th October 2017 after close to 35 years of dedicated active commissioned service”.

He said that he would like to place on record his sincere gratitude for all his seniors, comrades and staff, including his family, who had provided constant guidance to him throughout his long career. He added that it was a matter of great pride and honour for him to have served the army of this great nation.

“I shall be available for any service in the army whenever needed,” he concluded.

Gen Rizwan was commissioned in the Army’s Frontier Force Regiment in September 1982.

He is a graduate of the Command and Staff College in Quetta, National Defence University, Islamabad (NDU) and United States Army War College, Pennsylvania, USA. At the US Army War College, Gen Rizwan authored a strategy research project report titled ‘US-Pakistan trust deficit and the war on terror’ in fulfillment of the requirements of the Master in Strategic Studies Degree.

He has also commanded an infantry brigade and division in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) besides serving as the director general of Sindh Rangers and director general of the ISI.

As Sindh DG Rangers, Gen Rizwan had been assigned with the task to lead the Karachi operation.