Zaheer-ul-Islam

Pakistan Army general

Yousaf Raza Gillani
Raja Pervaiz Ashraf
Nawaz Sharif

Preceded byAhmad Shuja PashaSucceeded byRizwan AkhtarCommander V CorpsIn office
October 2010 – March 2012Director General CT-Wing of the ISIIn office
2008–2010GOC 12th Infantry DivisionIn office
2006–2008Chief of Staff Army Strategic Forces CommandIn office
2004–2006 Personal detailsBorn1956 (age 67–68)RelativesShah Nawaz Khan (uncle) Shah Rukh Khan (Cousin)Awards

Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military)Military serviceAllegiance

PakistanBranch/service

Pakistan ArmyYears of service1977-?Rank

Lieutenant GeneralUnitPunjab RegimentCommands

DG ISI
Commander V Corps

Zaheer-ul-Islam HI (M), (Urdu: ﻇﻬﻴﺮ ﺍﻹﺳﻼﻡ) is a retired Lieutenant-General of the Pakistan Army who served as the 20th Director General of the ISI. He was appointed to the position on 9 March 2012 and began working a day after his predecessor Ahmed Shuja Pasha left on 18 March 2012.^[1] At the time of his appointment, he was serving as the Corps Commander V Corps. In 2012 Forbes named him as the world's 52nd most powerful person.^[2]

Family

He was born into a Janjua Rajput family in Rawalpindi. His father retired as a brigadier in the Pakistan Army,^[3] while his three brothers and his brother-in-law Major Ejaz Aziz also retired as military officers.^[4]

His uncle was Shah Nawaz Khan, a major general in the Indian National Army of Subhas Chandra Bose.^[5]

In 2012, it was alleged that Islam is related to Shah Rukh Khan. The Pakistan Army denied the allegations and said since Lateef Fatima, the mother of Khan, is the adopted daughter of Shah Nawaz Khan, Lateef and her son bare no blood relation to Islam.^[6]

Military career

Zaheerul Islam was commissioned in the Punjab Regiment in the 55th PMA Long Course on 16 April 1977. He served as Corps Commander of the V Corps.

Zaheer served as the Director-General of the Counter-Terrorism Wing of the ISI before he was promoted to a lieutenant general and moved to Karachi as the Commander of the V Corps. He was the GOC of the 12th Division for some time before coming to the ISI. He also served as Chief of Staff Army Strategic Forces Command from 2004 to 2006.^[7]

Controversy

In 2020, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif accused Zaheer-ul-Islam of seeking his resignation during the 2014 Azadi march.^[8] Islam denied the allegations.

References

^ "No extension to Pasha, Lt Gen. Zaheerul Islam appointed new DG ISI". Thenews.com.pk. 2012-02-03. Retrieved 2012-03-09.
^ AFP (2012-12-06). "Kayani, Zaheerul Islam on Forbes Most Powerful People list". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
^ "Army denies new ISI chief related to Shah Rukh Khan". The Express Tribune. 11 March 2012. Retrieved 2014-01-30.
^ "Zaheer-ul Islam appointed new DG ISI". Thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2014-01-30.
^ "General (retd) Zaheerul Islam: The shadow warrior", Dawn News (6 October 2015). Retrieved 22 January 2020.
^ "Army denies new ISI chief related to Shah Rukh Khan". 11 March 2012.
^ "The News International: Latest News Breaking, Pakistan News".
^ Dawn.com (2020-10-15). "Former ISI chief Zaheerul Islam denies asking for Nawaz's resignation in 2014". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2021-06-19.

Military offices
Preceded by Ahmad Shuja Pasha	Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence 18 March 2012 – October 2014	Succeeded by Rizwan Akhtar

Pakistan Army

Leadership

Commander-in-Chief
- President of Pakistan
Chief Executive
- Prime Minister of Pakistan
Parliament
- Senate Committee on Defence
- National Assembly Committee on Defence
Cabinet Committee on National Security

Ministries	Defence Secretary Defence Production
General Headquarters	Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chief of Army Staff Chief of General Staff Surgeon-General Master-General of Ordnance Adjutant-General Engineer-in-Chief Surveyor-General Accountant-General Judge Advocate General Comptroller-General Quartermaster-General Serving Generals

Combat commands

Field corps	I Corps II Corps IV Corps V Corps X Corps XI Corps XII Corps XXX Corps XXXI Corps
Corps-level formations	Air Defence Strategic Forces Southern Northern Eastern (historical)
Special Forces	Army Special Services Group (SSG) Light Commando Battalion (LCB) Special Security Division (SSD)
Reserves	Pakistan Army Reserve North South

Administrative arms

Infantry regiments	Azad Kashmir Baloch Frontier Force Northern Light Infantry Punjab Sindh
Administrative corps	Armoured Artillery Air Defence Chaplains Aviation Dental Education Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Engineers Medical Military Intelligence Military Police Nursing Ordnance Remount, Veterinary and Farms Service Corps Signals

Paramilitary

Civil Armed Forces
National Guard

Affiliated
organisations

Defence Housing Authority	DHA Karachi DHA Islamabad DHA Lahore
Fauji Foundation	Fauji Foods Askari Bank Fauji Fertilizer Company Mari Petroleum
Sports	Army Basketball Army F.C.

Education
and
Training

Service training	Pakistan Military Academy Parachute Training School
Foundation University Islamabad	Foundation University Medical College
National Defence University	Command and Staff College
National University of Medical Sciences	Army Medical College Armed Forces Post Graduate Medical Institute CMH Lahore Medical And Dental College Wah Medical College
National University of Sciences and Technology	College of Electrical & Mechanical Engineering Military College of Engineering Military College of Signals Pakistan Navy Engineering College College of Aeronautical Engineering
Other universities	DHA Suffa University HITEC University Lahore Garrison University National University of Modern Languages National University of Technology Northern University University of Wah Army Public College of Management Sciences
Preparatory colleges	Army Burn Hall College Army Public Schools and Colleges Cadet Colleges Military College Jhelum Military College Murree Military College Sui

Literature and culture

Books	A Case of Exploding Mangoes Crossed Swords The Battle for Pakistan Military Inc.
Dramatization	Alpha Bravo Charlie Burning Valley Private Maqbool Hussain Ehd-e-Wafa Sinf-e-Aahan
Films	The Glorious Resolve Waar Waar-II Independence Delta Echo Foxtrot Wilco