New man minding the ISI store

Bidding farewell to the much controversial General Ahmed Shuja Pasha and with the advent of a new ISI DG, the PPP government is all set now to have a smooth sailing in its last year in power before elections and if ‘lucky’ enough thereafter as well.
And it is not just the PPP that is in celebrative mood. Even political leadership of the PML-N feels quite light and contented as if heaved a sigh of relief at the change of guard at Aabpara.
The euphoria of the political leadership is not all that misplaced. Most security analysts and political figures who spoke to Pakistan Today, have put in good words for the new spymaster and other generals belonging to his clan of Janjua Rajputs hailing from a tiny village Matore near Kahuta, an area highly fertile for producing career soldiers some of them destined to play important role in Pakistan. Three observations made by these analysts about Lt General Zaheerul Islam, assuming one of the most powerful and mythical offices in the country, are worth-mentioning for the benefit of political leadership always at the receiving end from the 7th Avenue.
First, according to them, the new DG ISI is a thorough professional. Hailing from illustrious military family that produced at least four generals at a time, places his institution above everything while keeping politics and politicians both at bay throughout his career.
“He is the type that changes his way if a political leader happens to be in the same way,” observed a political leader, well acquainted with the new DG.
“This office is so powerful that anyone could be carried away, if he is not professional and harbours ambition. As such only a professional person could stay away from mischief,” he added.
Second, more irrelevant from the political angel, he is least expected to be a part of any mischief or political adventurism sometimes associated with premier agency and source of instability in the country. Third, he will follow the policies from the top, devised by the prime minister or army chief.
The experts believes that Gen Zaheer will implement only and only state policies, whatever they might be, without pursuing an agenda incompatible with the declared policy of the government. These are all sound credentials for a person given mandate to run an intelligence agency and that too at a critical juncture and also must be music to the ears of the politicians in need of a level-playing field in politics, especially before the next elections.
More so for the PPP getting ready for the next elections, considered in some political circles as mother of all elections in Pakistan amid expectations of smooth transfer of power through elections managed by a political dispensation. The PPP like some other parties had some bitter memories of the outgoing DG. Sources said Pasha was not in favour of President Zardari and his government to continue as opposed to the contentions of Army Chief Kayani and other military commanders who happened to be senior to Pasha.
The reason for their sticking to the PPP government was simple: they did not want to drag the army into politics and become part of any unconstitutional move. Pasha was perceived to be behind the mercurial rise of Imran Khan in the country’s politics. This charge was openly levelled by the PML-N and shared by more well-informed political folks. They believe there was some hobnob between Pasha and Imran mainly to bring harm politically to both the main political parties. As such, Pasha was a bit of irritant in civil military relations as evident from the saga of Memogate scandal. As such, the arrival of a new DG with sound credentials will definitely bring in its wake much-needed stability to the country with agency being less intrusive in domestic affairs.
Moreover the change will bring the political and military leadership on the same page when the country is poised to frame new rules of game for the region and for its engagement with the US, looking for an honourable exit from Afghanistan. The appointment of ISI DG in the past often created bad blood between the prime minister and army chief, often resulting in destablisation and ultimately packing up of political governments.
But the way civil and military leadership rubbing shoulders these days show that Gen Zaheer is a consensus candidate with all its soothing consequences for the country in a run up to the elections and thereafter. Meanwhile, the premier agency is also under fire from all sides with Supreme Court in the lead role on this count. The role of the agency in domestic affairs is under scanner right now. As such the new chief assumed office with his plate full and so with the hope that he will be instrumental in giving new direction to the ISI in changing times.