ISLAMABAD: Major-General Athar Abbas has been appointed new Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). He will assume charge on January 15. General Abbas has succeeded the outgoing DG ISPR Maj General Waheed Arshad, who has been appointed Director-General Planning at Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Secretariat. General Abbas is currently Director-General, Quartering and Lands in the General Headquarters. Three of his brothers are associated with journalism, working with leading media organisations. Abbas has commanded an armoured division at Kharian and has held some important assignments in the past.
Maj General Wahed Arshad, who had served as Director Military Operations with General Kiyani when he was Director-General Military Operations, is shifted to COAS Secretariat as DG Planning, an important position.
The post of DG Planning at COAS Secretariat was established by the former Army Chief General Jehangir Karamat. Maj General Khalid Kidwai (who retired as Lieutenant General and chief of Strategic Planning Division) and Maj General Ahsan Salim Hayat (who retired as General in his capacity as VCOAS) held the appointments of DG Planning in the past.
With General Karamat’s ouster on October 7, 1998, the office of DG Planning at COAS Secretariat remained vacant and General Musharraf did not appoint any one on this job. Now, Army Chief General Kiayani has revived the office.
“Basically DG Planning is a think-tank in the Army and as such it is extremely important,” said a source. In a related development, Lt Gen Jamil Haider, who was holding the appointment of DG C4Is, is shifted as Dg Artillery in the GHQ in place of Maj General Mohammad Farooq. Farooq has been appointed DG Quartering and Lands in place of Major General Athar Abbas.
