Zaheerul Islam


 * Not to be confused with the retired Pakistani army general Zaheerul Islam Abbasi.

Lieutenant-General  Zaheer ul-Islam HI(M) is the current Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI); he was appointed to the position on 9 March 2012. Islam took over the position from his predecessor Ahmed Shuja Pasha, who left on 18 March. At the time of his appointment, he was serving as the Corps Commander V Corps, Karachi.

Islam comes from a family with a prominent military background. His father retired as a brigadier in the Pakistan Army, while his three brothers and his brother-in-law Major Ejaz Aziz also retired as military officers. In addition, he is a nephew of the Indian National Army general and politician Shah Nawaz Khan, who was also the adoptive maternal grandfather of Bollywood film actor Shahrukh Khan. However, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) refused to acknowledge any distant familial links between Zaheerul Islam and Shahrukh Khan.

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 V Corps in Karachi before appoinment of ISI Chief. Zaheer served as DG (C) in the ISI before he was promoted as a 3-star general and moved to Karachi as corps commander. He was GOC Murree for some time before coming to the ISI. He also served as Chief of Staff in the Army Strategic Force Command for 2004-2006.