Brig Imran to head Joint Directorate of Intelligence

ISLAMABAD: Brigadier Imran Mushtaq has become in-charge of the Joint Directorate of Intelligence (JID) — a key department which will work in close liaison with the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and the National Counter-terrorism Authority (Nacta), officials said on Monday.

“Brigadier Imran officially joins Nacta. He is coordinating with military, ISI and Nacta,” a top official of Ministry of Interior confirmed to Geo News/The News. Significant move came weeks after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif gave go-ahead to 'the key appointment of Brig Imran as head of JID, a major component of Nacta', he said. His name was recommended by top brass of Pakistan’s military last year.

The JID will be working under National Coordinator (chief) Nacta Ihsan Ghani, a Grade-22 officer of the Police Service of Pakistan who is looking affairs of this body. Some 450 officials are being appointed in the JID, added official who did not want to be named. Some 50 officers, majority of them to be taken from intelligence agencies, would work with JID as well. Recruitments against 686 vacancies in the authority are also being made for this purpose, added the official.

The office of JID is being furnished at Capital Hotel, hundreds of meters away from the ISI Headquarter located in Sector G-7 of Islamabad. The Nacta is also in process of finalising names of almost 80 senior officers for the Directorate. The body has already received nominations from civilian intelligence agencies — Intelligence Bureau and provincial counterterrorism departments — through ministry of interior.

Nacta chief Ihsan Ghani also confirmed the latest move saying, “Brig Imran would ensure efficient coordination among military and civilian intelligence agencies — the JID would soon be operational — most probably by May this year.” There would be four members of JID, three have been appointed while one more would be appointed soon, he added.

Brigadier Imran has vast experience of studying countering terrorism policy at many missions of Pakistan abroad. He was also conferred civil award by President Mamnoon Hussain last year for showing excellence and courage in their respective fields. He has also been served as Defence Attache at Pakistan’s Embassies in Libya, Algeria and Morocco.

Brig Imran as Defence Attaché put his live in danger to save lives of stranded Pakistan by getting them evacuated from Libya, despite the fact that all staffers of other missions abandoned Libya owing to worst condition of law and order.

He got rescued 180 Pakistanis who were stranded in Libya in October 2014. It is also pertinent to mention here that the military had also supported the establishment of the JID by letting its officers to work over there.

The federal government also promised to release more funds for JID the budget of Nacta, which was Rs95 million in 2013-14 and 2014-15, had been increased to Rs1.25 billion in 2015-16 and to Rs1.559bn in the financial year 2016-17.