ISLAMABAD: The government has appointed Lt Gen Muhammad Ali as the new Defence Secretary, as announced in a notification from the Establishment Division. He will assume his role as the 33rd Defence Secretary on October 1.
Currently serving as the Quarter Master General at General Headquarters, Lt Gen Ali is set to retire from military service soon. He will serve as Defence Secretary on a contract basis for two years, until December 31, 2026.
Lt Gen Ali, who belongs to the Artillery Regiment, has been the QMG since December 2022 and previously commanded the Army Strategic Forces Command after his promotion to three-star general in November 2020.
Following the departure of Lt Gen (retd) Hamooduz Zaman Khan after his contractual tenure, Maj Gen Amer Ashfaq Kayani had been serving as the acting Defence Secretary since August 24, 2024.
In a related development, Lieutenant-General Muhammad Asim Malik was recently appointed as the new head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Analysts suggest that these key appointments and reshuffling reflect important policy priorities and decision-making shifts within the government.
