ASSESSMENTS
Pakistan: Military Intelligence, Politics and the Jihadist Struggle
Feb 26, 2008 | 23:06 GMT
![](https://worldview.stratfor.com/sites/default/files/styles/2x1_full/public/main/images/fcdb251b10ebdce187f0bb6b81abc295eae67515_0.jpg?itok=JHpQFBna)
John Moore/Getty Images
Summary
Pakistani army chief Gen. Ashfaq Kayani soon will appoint a new head of the Military Intelligence (MI) directorate, Pakistani daily The News reported Feb. 26. The appointment represents a major step in Kayani's bid to consolidate his hold over the army and intelligence, as the current MI chief is a close relative of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. Since Musharraf already has been weakened significantly, the real challenge for Kayani will be cleansing the country’s intelligence system — a hard task indeed.