Kiyani to succeed Musharraf as Pak army chief

Pakistan's embattled President Pervez Musharraf today appointed former ISI chief Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani to succeed him as the army chief when he sheds uniform, ending months of speculation over who would get the top post.

Though no date was given for Lt Gen Kiyani, a Musharraf loyalist, to assume the post of army chief, state-run PTV quoted the Inter-Services Public Relations as saying that he would take up his new assignment once the President, who is seeking re-election in the October 6 ballot, gives up his uniform.

Musharraf had pledged before the Supreme Court that he would quit as army chief if re-elected President.

Also, Lt Gen Tariq Majeed, former Commander of the Rawalpindi Corps, was promoted as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and will take over his new assignment on October 8.

The new appointments came 10 days after Musharraf carried out a major reshuffle of top army commanders and promoted Major General Nadeem Taj to the rank of Lieutenant General and named him the new chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan's powerful intelligence agency.

Kiyani, who previously also held the post of military secretary to former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, has been involved in talks with her to bring about a political rapprochement with Musahrraf.

Kiyani was accompanied by Musharraf for a meeting with Bhutto in Abu Dhabi two months ago. He was widely regarded as the top contender for the post of army chief if Musharraf chose to relinquish it.