Reshuffle in Pakistan army as new government takes office

By Zeeshan Haider

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's army chief has made changes to important posts in the military as a new civilian government made up of opponents of former army chief President Pervez Musharraf prepares to take power.

The changes by army chief General Ashfaq Kayani, announced late on Monday, were the first major reshuffle in the army's top ranks since Musharraf stepped down as army chief in November.

The military has ruled more than half of Pakistan's 60 years of independence and changes in the army's leadership have always been closely watched.

Security analysts said the changes were routine but with some of the commanders Musharraf promoted being replaced, they reflected the increasingly isolated president's waning influence in the powerful military.

The most important changes involved commanders of two of the army's nine corps.

Lieutenant-General Shafaat Ullah Shah, a close confidante of Musharraf, was replaced as commander of a Lahore-based corps.

Shah was appointed chief of logistics staff at army headquarters and was replaced by Lieutenant General Ijaz Ahmed Bakhshi, the military said in a statement.

Lieutenant-General Sajjad Akram, the commander of another corps based in the city of Mangla, was appointed deputy head of a government agency set up to oversee rehabilitation in areas devastated by an October 2005 earthquake.