In April 2001, Lieutenant-General Ehsan was posted as the field commander of the XI Corps stationed in Peshawar but remained in this command capacity until October 2001.[13]
About his reception and image, the AmericanDefense Intelligence Agency (DIA) ran his profile in June 2002 that described him as holding "moderate Islamic views" and calls him a "protege" of President President Musharraf, saying the two men had a "strong relationship".[10]
Furthermore, he was described as "keenly aware of big picture issues with viewing of strong support for the democracy, advocating that Pakistan needs a legitimate civilian democratic government" and "open with American officials".[10] According to the DIA, Ehsan believes that Pakistan's policy of engagement with the Taliban was to eventually moderate the Taliban's behavior.[14] He played a crucial role in apprehending of the Omar Sheikh, a British terrorist and former MI-6 agent, from Karachi in 2002, and knew well aware of his status as the MI-6 agent as early as 1999.: 183 [15]
In 2018, it was revealed by Urdu columnist, Mahmood Shaam, that Lt-Gen. Ehsan fiercely opposed the candidacy of Fazal-ur-Rehman and notably pressured the ARD alliance led by Benazir Bhutto and ultraconservative MMA to withdraw the latter's name in favor of Zafarullah Khan Jamali.[17]
Chairman joint chiefs (2004–07)
Appointment controversy and violence North-West Pakistan
Taliban insurgency in 2009. Gen. Ehsan testified of his strategic failure to contain the Taliban to end the violence when the al-Qaeda eventually regroup itself and retreated from Pakistan.[18]
In 2004, the Government of Pakistan confirmed the timely retirement of Gen. Aziz Khan as the Chairman joint chiefs, and eventually the race was thought be between Adm. Shahid Karim and the senior army generals in the Pakistan Army. In the army department alone, there were eight army generals who were in the race for the promotion of four-star rank appointment along with Adm. Shahid Karim, including with seniority:[19]
Lt-Gen. Ehsan ul Haq,[19] Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (DG ISI).
Despite his short-coming of his seniority and qualifications, President Musharraf announced to promote Lt-Gen. Ehsan to the four-star appointment and subsequently superseding the senior most Adm. Shahid Karim and eight senior army generals in the Pakistan Army on 7 October 2004.[19] In the public circles and media, the appointment was commented as "backdrop of a controversy over President Musharraf's uniform and his continuing as army chief after 31 December 2004."[20][19] Regardless, the appointment to four-star appointment was deemed as controversial by the political circles of the country.[19]
On 18 December 2004, Gen. Ehsan was appointed as first ever Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Defence Command.[21] In 2005, Gen. Ehsan went to visit China to maintain defence ties in a view of strengthening the arm industry.[22]
In 2007, Gen. Ehsan sought his retirement after his testimony in the Washington D.C. in United States and went to join the corporate world eventually becoming the CEO of the Pakistan–Libya Holding Company, an investment firm.[1] He oversaw the company operations both in Libya and Pakistan but departed from the investment firm when the revolution took place in 2011, and subsequently went to join the healthcare industry in 2011.[1]
He is currently serving as the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Al-Shifa Trust, which runs a chain of eye care hospitals throughout Pakistan, while also managing the DNA Health Corporation, an American-based health company based in New York.[1]
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