The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Islamabad

President Pervez Musharraf appointed a new head of Pakistan's main spy agency on Friday, in a move seen as seting up the likely succession should Musharraf quit as army chief as promised next month.

Musharraf, a key US-ally, appointed Nadeem Taj as the chief of the Inter Services Intelligence, or ISI, which is engaged in the hunt for Al- Qaeda militants as well as providing internal security, a military statement said.

Taj, who served as Musharraf's military secretary after he seized power in a coup in 1999, replaces Ashfaq Kiyani, who is a strong contender for the top army post should Musharraf step down.

The embatled military ruler said this week that he will relinquish his post as head of the powerful army if he wins his virtually assured re-election in a presidential poll due on October 6.

Musharraf said he would be sworn in as a civilian before his current term as president ends on November 15. Officials say privately that he is likely to quit the army within days of the vote.

Taj was one of six generals elevated from major general to lieutenant general by Musharraf in a batch of promotions that are seen as crucial for his own plans.

Military sources said either Kiyani or former Rawalpindi corps commander Tariq Majeed could replace Musharraf as army chief next month.

Analysts say Musharraf is keen to appoint a loyalist as his successor to ensure that he himself does not fall victim to military intervention when he becomes a civilian leader.