ISLAMABAD – Three names have surfaced for the powerful slot of theIntelligece Bureau Chief. Names of Mehr Khaliq Dad Lak, Fawad Asadullah andDr Suleman have surfaced– three officers already serving the IB.
Lak is an officer in basic pay scale (BPS) 22 while Asadullah and Sulemanare in BPS-21. Lak is presently the commandant of the IB Academy, Asadullahis posted as joint director at the IB headquarters, and Suleman is thejoint director looking after IB operations in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Both Asadullah and Suleman have field experience of counterterrorism andcounterintelligence operations. Lak previously served as Capital CityPolice Officer in Lahore and was promoted in BPS-22 in December last year.
According to the PM Office sources, Premier Abbasi is mulling over the newIB chief’s appointment after Sultan conveyed to the PM his intention not tocontinue after expiry of his third consecutive extension.
The officials dispelled the reports that the PM was reluctant to give IBdirector general yet another extension, saying Sultan himself was notinclined to continue as top civilian spymaster and intended to retire afterstaying in the office for years.
“He [Sultan] thinks it’s time other officers are be given a chance,” saidan official source.