ISLAMABAD, 14 October 2021, (TON): Days after intense speculations regarding the appointment of the new director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the federal government confirmed for the first time that there is a stalemate between Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa over the appointment of the new spymaster.

The matter is so serious that the outcome of a ‘long meeting’ between the prime minister and the COAS over the appointment of the new DG ISI Monday night ended with the premier telling the army chief that the authority to appoint the new spymaster rests with him.

Resultantly, the PM Office has yet to issue a notification for the new ISI chief.

The military’s media wing issued a statement regarding the appointment of Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmad Anjum as the new DG ISI, replacing the outgoing chief General Faiz Hameed.

Two days later, it first emerged on social media that the federal government had yet to issue a formal notification for the appointment of the new spymaster.