General Faiz – a master strategist and experienced General

Last week, Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed was appointed as the Director General of Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) replacing Lt. General Asim Munir, who has been posted as the Corps Commander Gujranwala. Jan Achakzai, geo-strategic analyst and Chairman of Centre for Geo-Politics & Balochistan, observed that the appointment of Lt. General Faiz Hameed as DG ISI is well-deserved and a highly strategic placement, given his career as a “master strategist” and experienced general. However, Pakistani writer and self-styled military scientist and political commentator Ayesha Siddiqa in her treatise titled ‘New ISI chief Faiz Hameed a manipulator picked by army chief Bajwa to be his master’s voice’, and described him as a hardliner in ‘The Print’. She is known for her controversial book titled ‘Military, Inc.: Inside Pakistan’s Military Economy’; and she would not let any opportunity go to criticize military and the ISI.
Why she especially picked up new ISI Chief Lt. General Faiz Hameed for bashing, whereas there were other promotions and transfers as well? These are the routine promotions, postings and transfers, and decisions are taken keeping in view the situation, circumstances and security requirements. Ayesha Siddiqa wrote: “The Pakistan Army’s strategic intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence, got a new chief this week, Lt General Faiz Hameed, making the world wonder what he has done to deserve the position. Or what will now be the fate of one of the most talked about intelligence agencies in the world”. Her remark about the General as ‘his master’s voice’ reflects the author’s myopic vision. Jan Achakzai observed in his tweet that “the appointment of Lt. General Hameed is the best decision in light of the new geopolitical challenges and external security issues, and he will break new grounds to combat geopolitical challenges.”
If one goes through the articles and books written by Ayesha Siddiqa, it is not difficult to conclude that she is his master’s voice – the US. The question is that why Pakistan is the target of hostile propaganda? The answer is that after the Soviet troops were forced to withdraw from Afghanistan in 1980s, the US, India and other Pakistan’s detractors were worried because it was beyond their imagination what Pakistan’s premier agency had achieved. It would not be wrong to say the US won the Cold War and became sole super power because of Pakistan and ISI’s help. The reason was that Pakistan was intertwined in defence pacts with the West and bilateral agreement with the US. And had Pakistan not supported the US, the latter would not have turned a blind eye to Pakistan’s nuclear program, and today Pakistan would not have been a nuclear power.
She mentioned Lt. General Faiz Hameed’s relationship with Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa since early to mid-2010s, when the former was a brigadier and posted as Chief of Staff at the Rawalpindi based 10th Corps where Bajwa was the field commander officer. “When Qamar Bajwa had taken over the command of the army, he brought his own man to head the ‘C’ wing of the ISI responsible for counter-intelligence, which means a hand on the political pulse of Pakistan and on the organisational pulse of its army. Indeed, Hameed grew so powerful in that position that many viewed him as the main man running the ISI and not Lt. General Naveed Mukhtar, who served as the DG ISI from December 2016 to October 2018”. In fact, she is not concerned over his appointment, but the objective is to target the ISI – the eyes and ears of the armed forces.
Apart from insinuating ISI for contacts with jihadi groups, she also stated: “One of Lt Gen. Faiz Hameed’s important tasks would be to ensure that the political pot doesn’t boil over into the streets. This would call for management of resources within the political party system, and generating sufficient amount of fear in the larger civil society to curb any popular political movement emerging, especially in Punjab. According to one keen observer of Pakistan’s security, there will certainly be more news of ‘mysterious deaths’ in the country”. Can anyone imagine that a Pakistani can spew venom against one’s country’s military and intelligence agencies? Of course, India the archenemy of Pakistan has been instrumental in fuelling sentiments against Pakistan through hostile propaganda. In this regard, All India Radio, BBC, Sada-e-Kashmir and Radio Kabul have been broadcasting offensive material against the Pak Army and the ISI.