Islamabad: President of the National Defence University and former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar said that army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has accepted his request for premature retirement, local media reported.
Gen Rizwan Akhtar on Saturday requested early retirement from the Pakistan Army citing "pressing personal commitments".
Gen Akhtar, in a letter, asked for "premature release" starting Oct 9, 2017, after nearly 35 years of active commissioned service in the armed forces.
"I want everyone [...] to respect my decision and not succumb or resort to speculation in any domain. I shall be available for any service in the army whenever needed," he added.
Lt Gen Rizwan was commissioned in the Frontier Force Regiment in September 1982. According to the ISPR, he is a graduate of Command and Staff College Quetta and the National Defence University (NDU) Islamabad.
He also went to the United States for a war course. Lt Gen Rizwan has also commanded an infantry brigade and division in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and also served as DG Rangers Sindh and director general of the ISI.