ISLAMABAD, March 3: Three lieutenant generals, including Director-General of Inter Services Intelligence Ahmad Shuja Pasha, will retire this month.

Sources said that Bahawalpur Corps Commander Lt-Gen Naeem Khalid Lodhi would retire on March 14 followed by the army's Communications and IT Inspector-General, Lt-Gen Tanvir Tahir, who would retire the next day. Lt-Gen Tahir was given one-year extension last year.

The sources said Gen Pasha would retire on March 18, unless he was granted another extension.

If given a second extension, Gen Pasha would either continue to head the premier intelligence agency or be appointed director-general of military operations --- a post he was holding prior to his appointment as ISI chief.

They said Commander of the UN force in Liberia Lt-Gen Sikandar Afzal, who was also on one-year extension, had already retired.

The former chief of Military Intelligence, Lt-Gen Nadeem Taj, would retire by the end of next month. At present, he is serving as Adjutant General at the General Headquarters.

National Defence University President Lt-Gen Agha Mohammad Umer Farooq will complete his term on July 22 this year.

Two three-star generals will retire in October.

Pakistan Ordnance Factories chairman Lt-Gen Shujaat Zamir Dar and Military Secretary at the GHQ Lt-Gen Mohsin Kamal will retire on October 8.

Lt-Gen Jamil Haider, currently serving as the commander of the Army's Strategic Forces Command, will retire on Oct 13.

Quetta Corps Commander Lt-Gen Javed Zia will retire on October 21.

Pakistan Army Surgeon General Lt-Gen Mohammad Rehan Burney will retire on Nov 5.

Peshawar Corps Commander Lt-Gen Asif Yasin Malik will be the last three-star general to retire this year. He will retire on Dec 3.