Islamabad: Some 72 army officers have been withdrawn from service in civil departments, a military statement said on Friday.

They include six major generals and eight brigadiers, according to th statement issued by the inter-services public relations department.

Army chief General Ashafq Parvez Kiyani had initiated the move after assuming the command in November when President Pervez Musharraf relinquished the post.

Following the decision the civil departments were asked to formulate a reversion plan so that their routine functioning was not affected by abrupt pulling out of army personnel.

The departments were asked to forward their plans of reversion by March 20 and their recommendations had been received, the statement said.

It said the recalled officers would report back by May one while reversion process of junior officers and soldiers had also commenced. In the second phase, 46 officers will return by mid-August as at present they were not being spared by respective civil departments due to non availability of their relieve, the statement said.

With regards to the procedure for re-employment of retired officers in civil departments, the statement said they were eligible for re-employment on contract for three to five years up to the age of 60 years and to 10 per cent of annual vacancies. This re-employment is made through a Defence Services Officers Selection Board.