ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has lauded efforts of the Pakistan’s prime spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), for the security of the country.
“ISI is the country’s first line of defence,” the prime minister said in a meeting with the Director General ISI Lieutenant General Rizwan Akhtar who called on him in Islamabad on Saturday.
During the meeting held at the Prime Minister House, the two sides discussed overall security situation of the country.
The prime minister and the ISI head also held a discussion on the ongoing military offensive against the militants in the restive North Waziristan tribal region during the meeting.
It was the first meeting between the prime minister and the Lt General Rizwan Akhtar after the latter took over as the head of the Pakistan’s premier intelligence service earlier this month.
Lt General Rizwan Akhtar took over as the next head of the ISI on November 7 after his predecessor Lt General Zaheerul Islam retired from the post on that date.
Rizwan Akhtar was promoted to Lieutenant General from Major General and also appointed as the new director general ISI on September 22.
His appointment was made more than a month in advance in an attempt to avoid controversy over the appointment at a time when civil-military relationship was passing through a critical phase.
