ISLAMABAD/KARACHI, 12 October — President Pervez Musharraf has said that top-level changes in the military have nothing to do with attack on Afghanistan by a US-led coalition. According to official sources, he told the Cabinet on Wednesday that the changes had been “contemplated three months ago” and had no relation whatsoever to the attack on Afghanistan.

Musharraf said he had full support of the armed forces, specially top-ranking people in the army, on all important national and international issues. He termed the changes normal. The sources said the president regretted that there were strange speculations about the changes in the army.

Meanwhile, more changes were announced on Wednesday. Giving final touches to adjustments in the Army in this phase, two newly-promoted lieutenant generals — Shahid Aziz and Syed Arif Hassan — were appointed on all important positions of Chief of General Staff (CGS) and Corps Commander Rawalpindi, respectively.

Both these brilliant soldiers were appointed on the posts, which can be dream of anybody. On promotion, Lt. Gen. Shahid was appointed CGS, as the slot became vacant when Lt. Gen. Muhammad Yousaf Khan was promoted as a 4-star general and appointed vice chief of Army Staff.

Until recently, Lt. Gen. Shahid was GOC Murree looking after the Line of Control and the entire area, as he was sent there after he served in the General Headquarters as director general military operations (DGMO).

Shahid was also author of the Army Monitoring System plus his professionalism, as he is one of those soldiers who speak less but believe on performance and efficiency — a general who perhaps follows in true spirit advise of Quaid-e-Azam “work, work, and work” more than his contemporary soldiers.

Lt. Gen. Hassan, until recently vice chief of General Staff and in charge of SAF Games, has replaced Lt. Gen. Jamshed Gulzar as commander 10-Corps, who was brought in last year after Lt. Gen. Mahmoud was sent to ISI as its Chief.

Lt. Gen. Hassan, a soft-speaking every inch soldier, was the one who was in charge of the security arrangements put in place for a daylong visit of US President Bill Clinton on March 25, 2000, and he accomplished the job excellently. The name of Hassan’s successor has not yet be announced.