New Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt. Gen Nadeen Anjum has reportedly instructed the relevant authorities to keep any and all pictures or videos of him taken during official meetings out of the media.
The News quoted a federal minister as saying on the condition of anonymity that the government purposely abstains from publishing photos or videos of Lt. Gen Anjum fulfilling any functions of his role. Furthermore, the government did not release any related photos or video footage of the Lt. Gen at Monday’s historic National Security Committee meeting, although he was in attendance. The federal minister maintained that it was a standing instruction to omit the top spymaster from any official photos or videos.
Commenting on the same, Lt-Gen (retd) Amjad Shoaib explained that it was a core principle of intelligence services to steer clear of the public eye, but he acknowledged that historically, the government has routinely released images and footage of former intelligence chiefs. Former DG ISI Chiefs Gen Hameed Gul and General Javed Nasir were recognisable public figures during the Afghan war.
Maj Gen (retd) Ejaz Awan, who served in the ISI during his career, recalled that DG ISI General (retd) Ahsan once told him, “You would be a good intelligence operator if you roam around Lahore and no one notices you and no one recognises that here the ISI Sector Commander is going,” he told The News.
Release all videos as publically.