ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has appointed a serving major-general of the army to a senior position in the interior ministry, officials said on Monday, with the unprecedented move ostensibly aimed at “enhancing coordination” among civil armed forces amid a surge in militancy.
While the appointment of retired army officials to civilian government positions is a norm in Pakistan, which has been ruled by its powerful army for nearly half of its 78-year history, the appointment of a serving officer is unprecedented.
Major General Noor Wali Khan has been transferred and posted as an additional secretary at the interior ministry on a secondment basis for three years, according to a notification issued by Pakistan’s Cabinet Secretariat.
“General Khan will head all civil armed forces in the ministry,” Qadir Yar Tiwana, an interior ministry spokesman, told Arab News, declining to share further details of his mandate.
A senior official at the interior ministry, who requested anonymity, said the appointment was aimed at “enhancing coordination among multiple civil armed forces working under the interior ministry.”
