Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif meets new ISI chief

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's new ISI chief Lieutenant General Rizwan Akhtar today met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and discussed major security issues in his first official meeting after taking charge of the powerful spy agency last week.

In the meeting, Lt Gen Akhtar, a close confidant of Pakistan's Army Chief, discussed the situation in troubled North Waziristan and the role ISI can play in putting an end to cross border terrorist infiltration along the porous Pak-Afghan border.

They also discussed ISI's role in improving the overall law and order situation in the country, the Dawn reported.

The Prime Minister and the spy agency chief also discussed the possibilities of how to deal with terrorist hideouts in settled areas of the country other than the Federally Administered Tribal Area (Fata).

Lt Gen Akhtar assumed charge of Inter-Services Intelligence on November 7 after the retirement of his predecessor Lieutenant General Zaheerul Islam.

Relations between the spy chief and the civilian government are of great importance for political stability of the country, ruled by powerful military for more than half of its history.

Lt Gen Akhtar was promoted as a three-star general and appointed Director General ISI as part of a major reshuffle in the military in September, a development that was seen as consolidating power in the hands of Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif amid political instability in the country.

Akhtar is considered to have extensive experience of counter-insurgency from a previous posting in the border region of South Waziristan.