In the reshuffle, regarded as a prelude to a major one early next month to appoint his possible successor, Musharraf promoted six Major Generals as Lieutenant Generals as several slots of top Generals, including the number two post of the Vice Chief of Army and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), which will fall vacant on October 7.

Musharraf’s heir
The nominee for the deputy Army Chief is likely to be the successor of Musharraf.

Maj Gen Nadeem Taj was promoted as Lt Gen and made Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the country’s powerful spy agency.

Gen Taj would replace Lt Gen Pervez Ashfaq Kiyani as ISI chief.

Gen Kiyani, who previously held the post of military secretary to former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and is currently involved in talks with her to bring about a political rapprochement between her and the President, is regarded as a top contender to be appointed as Musharraf’s successor if he chooses to relinquish the post of Army Chief.

Close associates
Kiyani could be picked up for either the post of Vice Army Chief or CJCSC. Kiyani accompanied Musharraf during his meeting with Bhutto in Abu Dhabi two months ago.

Gen Taj is another of Musharraf’s close associates in the army, who flew with him from Colombo to Karachi on the day of the military coup in October 1999.

Musharraf seized power after his plane was initially declined permission to land. Then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif removed him when Musharraf’s plane was airborne, but the General in association with close commanders landed in Karachi and ousted Sharif.

The current Vice Chief Gen Ahesan Saleh Hayat and present CJCSC Gen Ehasanul Haq will retire on October 7, the day after the presidential polls in which Musharraf is seeking re-election.

JOINT CANDIDATE
Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on friday that President Pervez Musharraf would be the joint candidate, reports UNI from Islamabad.

Aziz said the Presidential election will be followed by the general elections, which would be held in a ‘free and fair manner’. “Presidential election will augur well for political stability and democracy in Pakistan,” he said while talking to a group of parliamentarians who called on him at the PM House.The PML and its coalition partners will contest the next general elections on the basis of their performance in the office over the last five years, he added.