| Nadeem Taj | |
|---|---|
General Nadeem Taj, PA |
|
| Birth name | Nadeem Taj |
| Born | 28 April 1953 Lahore, Punjab Province, West-Pakistan |
| Allegiance | Pakistan |
| Service/branch | Pakistan Army |
| Years of service | 1972-2011 |
| Rank | Lieutenant-General |
| Service number | (PA-14489)[1] |
| Unit | Punjab Air Regiment |
| Commands held | 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 |
| Awards | Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military) |
Lieutenant General Nadeem Taj, HI(M) (born 28 April 1953) is a retired three star general in the Pakistan Army who is currently serving as its Adjutant General (AG) in the GHQ.[2] Previously, he headed the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan's premier intelligence agency and Military Intelligence, military's main intelligence body, in addition to as the Commander of the XXX Corps at Gujranwala.[3]
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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.[4] Taj was also with Musharraf during the assassination attempts on him in December 2003. The attacker, Muhammad Jameel, hit the car carrying Taj.[5]
Taj was promoted to Major-General on 1 February 2002[6] 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.
Taj then moved on to become General Officer Commanding (GOC) 11th Infantry Division Lahore and continued till 24 April 2006, when he obtained the role of Commandant of the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) at Kakul, Abbottabad District.[7] It was from there that he was promoted to the position of ISI chief on 21 September 2007.
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."[8]
Taj took over the Gujranwala Corps after the incumbent Lt Gen Waseem Ahmad Ashraf retired from the army on 4 October 2008.[3] 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.[2] Taj retired from Pakistan Army in April 2011.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ashfaq Parvez Kayani |
Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence 2007 – 2008 |
Succeeded by Ahmad Shuja Pasha |