Pakistan to extend term of spy chief

Pakistani defense minister says the government will extend the term of the country's powerful spy chief.

Ahmad Mukhtar did not say Saturday how long Lt. Gen. Ahmad Shuja Pasha would stay on at the head of the Inter Services Intelligence, or the ISI.

He had been due to step down on March 18.

As well as collecting domestic intelligence, the ISI plays a major role in formulating Pakistan's foreign and defense policies, especially concerning Afghanistan and India.

Pasha is believed to have a good relationship with the CIA, but strains over the country's differing strategic interests cause frequent tensions.