Nadeem Taj

Lieutenant General Nadeem Taj , HI(M) (born 29 April 1953) is a retired three-star general in the Pakistan Army who served as its Adjutant General (AG) in the GHQ.[1] Previously, he headed the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan's premier intelligence agency and Military Intelligence, military's main intelligence body, in addition to Commander of the XXX Corps at Gujranwala.[2]

Nadeem Taj
Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence
In office October 2007 – October 2008
President	Pervez Musharraf Asif Ali Zardari
Commander XXX Corps,Gujranwala
In office October 2008 – April 2010
Director General of Military Intelligence
In office December 2003 – February 2005
Personal details
Born	Nadeem Taj 29 April 1953 Lahore, Punjab Province, West-Pakistan
Awards	Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military) Tamgha-e-Basalat (Tbt)
Military service
Allegiance	Pakistan
Branch/service	Pakistan Army
Years of service	1972–2011
Rank	Lieutenant-General
Unit	Punjab Infantry Regiment (11 Punjab)
Commands	Adjutant-General of Army Military Secretary to the Prime minister DG Military Intelligence (DGMI) DG Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) 11th Army Infantry Division Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul XXX Corps
Battles/wars	Indo-Pakistani War of 1999 1999 Pakistani coup d'état War in North-West Pakistan

Musharraf's aide

Taj was commissioned in the Pakistan Army's Punjab Regiment in August 1972 in the 2nd Special War Course. His name came into prominence when he as a Brigadier-General was accompanying the then-Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff and Chief of Army Staff General Pervez Musharraf on his way back from Sri Lanka on 12 October 1999 when their plane was denied landing at Jinnah Terminal, Karachi, brewing a crisis that ultimately led to overthrow of the elected government of Premier Nawaz Sharif.[3] Taj was also with Musharraf during the assassination attempts on him in December 2003.

Chief of Intelligence

Taj was promoted to Major-General on 1 February 2002[4] and was already serving as the Military Secretary (MS) to the President of Pakistan (different from Military Secretary (MS), GHQ). It was during this time when Musharraf's convoy was attacked in Rawalpindi. Shortly after that incident, Taj was appointed Director-General of Military Intelligence (DGMI) in December 2003 in place of the newly promoted-Lieutenant General Tariq Majid who proceeded as the new Chief of General Staff. Taj was himself replaced as President's MS by Maj Gen Shafaat Ullah Shah. Taj continued as DGMI till February 2005, when he was replaced by Maj Gen Mian Nadeem Ijaz Ahmed.

Command and staff appointments

On 29 September 2008, The Australian reported that "Washington is understood to be exerting intense pressure on Pakistan to remove ISI boss Nadeem Taj and two of his deputies because of the key agency's alleged "double-dealing" with the militants."[5]

Taj took over the Gujranwala Corps after the incumbent Lt Gen Waseem Ahmad Ashraf retired from the army on 4 October 2008.[2] He was later shifted as the Adjutant General (AG) of Pakistan Army on 29 April 2010 replacing Lt Gen Javed Zia who in turn was appointed as Commander, Southern Command in Quetta.[1]

References

1. Shakil Shaikh. "Lt-Gen Khalid Nawaz to head 10-Corps" The News, 29 April 2010
2. Sajjad Malik. "ISI chief, four corps commanders changed" Daily Times, 30 September 2008
3. Cyril Almeida. "The ISI and an SOS" Dawn, 30 July 2008
4. "27 officers made Majors-General" Dawn, 2 February 2002
5. Bruce Loudon. "ISI chief urged to quit as battle rages at border" The Australian, 29 September 2008