ISLAMABAD, October 7 (IslamOnline.net) - Analysts and observers saw the latest Pakistani army reshuffle in light of President Pervez Musharraf’s desire to tighten his grip on the army, a move that explains promoting a number of army officers to supersede their commanders because of their loyalty to the General President.

Musharraf promoted last week two lieutenant generals to four-star rank, superseding a number of their seniors, who retired Thursday, October 7.

Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt. Gen. Ehsanul Haq was named the new Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC), while the Karachi Corps Commander, Ahsan Saleem Hayat, was named the new Vice Chief of Army Staff.

They will succeed General Muhammad Aziz and General Muhammad Yousuf.

“There is no doubt about the professional capabilities of those promoted, but the fact remains that personal loyalty to Musharraf is the one that has earned them new posts,” Kamran Khan, one of the eminent military affairs commentators said.

“General Mushrraf obviously has a personal agenda for the army which can only be fulfilled by his close circle members” Kamran said.

Hayat and Haq were respectively the fourth and eighth senior-most lieutenant generals and the promotions were a signal to those in between to put in their papers.

This message was reinforced the next day seven major generals were promoted and five of them were given command of key corps.

Hayat is a family friend of Musharraf, and is considered amongst the very few fellow generals who are privately consulted by the president on key issues.

This could have been the main reason for targeting General Hayat himself in an assassination attempt in Karachi in June.

He is the only general who survived such an attempt. General Musharraf escaped two such attempts last year.

General Ehsan, now the ceremonial chief of all the three armed forces of Pakistan in his capacity as head of JCSC, is also considered a member of Musharraf’s close circle of loyalists.

He earned Musharraf’s trust as he was closely in touch with the president on a daily basis for spearheading the so-called war on terrorism in the country.

Analysts believe the promotions would tighten Musharraf’s grip on the army, which the president reportedly seek to retain its control despite earlier promise to abandon the title.

“The new promotions are meant to give general Musharraf a stronger control over the military itself,” Lt Gen Retired Talat Masood, a defense analyst said.

“It is a more psychological advantage than anything else” he added.

Musharraf, who seized power in 1999, had promised to give up his military post by December 31, 2004, under a deal with the six-party Islamic alliance of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA).

Political analysts say the new promotions have left many senior generals seeking early retirement.

Some of the generals who had to announce their early retirements were the most brilliant officers with shining careers and deserved promotions, according to military observers.

Among them are Let Gen Syed Shahid Pervez and Lt Gen Tariq Waseem Ghazi, two three-star Generals who had swept every honor in the military academy.

Ghazi, belonging to the 40th PMA long course, and Shahid, who is from the 41st PMA long course, had not only got sword of honor but also won the Norman medal. Sword of honor is offered to the overall best cadet while the Norman medal is given to the one who is the best in academics in the whole course.

Musharraf also granted local promotions to two brigadiers Rashid Qureshi and Brigadier Tallat Munir, both considered his personal friends.

Qureshi was the former head of Inter-Services Public Relations. The army's promotion board had passed him over but Musharraf gave him what is termed a "local promotion" and permitted him to wear the rank of major general.

Qureshi was later shifted out as Director General of the paramilitary National Guards.

All eyes are now set on the December 31 deadline when General Musharraf is supposed to retire from the army after serving an extra term in the office.

The way Musharraf has brought forward his loyalists to the key military posts left many analysts believing that he is trying to keep the dual posts for more years to come.