Amid the heightened India-Pak tensions, Pakistan has appointed Lieutenant General Muhammad Asim Malik, who is presently the Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), as the nation’s new National Security Adviser (NSA). Lt Gen Malik has assumed the NSA’s responsibilities as an additional duty with immediate effect.
He took over as the ISI chief in September 2024. His appointment occurs during tense relations with India after the Pahalgam terror attack that resulted in the deaths of 26 individuals, primarily tourists.
Who is Mohammad Asim Malik?
Mohammad Asim Malik holds the rank of a three-star general (Lieutenant General). He was born into a Punjabi Awan family with heritage tracing back to Shahpur, located in the Sargodha District of Punjab province. Malik is the son of retired Lieutenant General Ghulam Muhammad Malik.
Malik enrolled in the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) and participated in the 80th Long Course. He completed his studies at PMA, earning the esteemed Sword of Honour. He was appointed to the 12th Baloch Regiment of the Pakistan Army in 1989.
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He obtained a B.Sc degree from the University of Balochistan in 1999. He subsequently attended Fort Leavenworth in the United States. Malik also studied at the Royal College of Defence Studies located in the UK. He received a PhD in US-Pakistan relations from the National Defence University (NDU) in Pakistan.
During his career, he stayed connected with the Baloch Regiment. As a brigadier, he led an Infantry Brigade in the Waziristan area. He subsequently commanded the 41st Infantry Division in Balochistan as a major general.
Malik served in the Military Operations Directorate at the General Headquarters (GHQ) and also held a position as an instructor at the Pakistan Command and Staff College in Quetta. He also held the position of Chief Instructor at the National Defence University in Islamabad.
Malik subsequently held the position of Adjutant General at General Headquarters (GHQ), where he managed the case against ex-ISI chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed – largely regarded as an attempt to incarcerate Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan along with other party officials. During his time in office, Imran Khan was arrested, leading to violent protests, including the arson attacks on 9 May. Mr. Malik supervised the investigations into these matters.
Malik was named the Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (DG ISI) on 23 September 2024, succeeding Nadeem Anjum. He subsequently became first PhD holder to take on the role.
