Govt transfers ISI’s internal wing chief Maj Gen Faisal Naseer to Nacta

ISLAMABAD: The government has unexpectedly transferred Major General Faisal Naseer, Director General (C) of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), to the role of National Coordinator at the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Nacta) on Friday.

The DG (C) position is often mischaracterised as leading ISI’s counter-intelligence wing. In reality, it heads the agency’s Internal Wing, which focuses on domestic security and frequently interacts with the country’s main power centres.

Within ISI, the DG (C) role is seen as nearly the second most important after the ISI director general.

Maj Gen Naseer’s transfer is notable as it precedes upcoming army promotions. An officer from the Corps of Military Intelligence, he was a strong candidate for promotion to lieutenant general.

He has served as DG (C) since 2022, shortly after being promoted to major general, during a politically turbulent time.

Transfers to non-military roles can affect an officer’s career progression, which is why this move surprised many military observers.

Nacta, established in 2009 and given statutory backing in 2013, was intended as the central civilian body for coordinating counter-terrorism and counter-extremism policies across federal and provincial agencies.

However, it has not fully developed into the command and coordination body envisioned by law, remaining largely a policy secretariat with limited enforcement capacity.

Nacta has seen frequent leadership changes, with over a dozen National Coordinators, mostly from the police service.

Maj Gen Naseer’s appointment marks a shift from usual practices and might indicate an effort to strengthen Nacta as the central coordinating body against terrorism and extremism.

The government has not yet explained the reason for this change.