Years of service 19-??-1959 Rank Major-General | Name Robert Cawthome | |
Commands held Director-General of the Inter-Services IntelligenceChief of Staff Battles/wars World War IIIndo-Pakistani War of 1947 Battles and wars World War II, Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 | ||
Sir Robert Cawthome (Urdu: رابرٹ کیتھوموم) was the founder of the Inter-Services Intelligence. He served as two star Major-General in the Pakistan army and later as 2nd director general of the ISI. He also formed the Pakistan Army Corps of Signals.
Career
Robert Bill Cawthome was born in Australia and was a major general in the British Indian Army in the British India. After independence of Pakistan and India, he moved to Pakistan and joined the newly formed Pakistan army. He formed Pakistan Army Corps of Signals and served as the Deputy Chief of Staff in the army. Cawthome founded the Inter-Services Intelligence in 1948 after Indo-Pak war which exposed weaknesses in intelligence gathering between the Pakistan Army, Air Force, Navy, IB and MI. The policies of the agency were his brain-child. He was promoted to two star Major-General in the army. In 1950 he became Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence preceding Syed Shahid Hamid. He was succeeded by Riaz Hussain in 1959. After his retirement, Cawthome moved back to the United Kingdom and lived there till his death. He still remains the longest-serving DG ISI, serving in the position for nine years.