Pakistan has named the current Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik, as the new National Security Adviser (NSA), amid escalating tensions with India.
This marks the first time a sitting ISI chief has been assigned the dual responsibilities of leading both the intelligence agency and the national security portfolio.
Lt Gen Malik, who assumed leadership of the ISI in October 2024, will now take on the NSA role in addition to his current duties. A government notification confirmed that “Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik HI (M), DG (I), shall hold the additional charge of the National Security Adviser, with immediate effect.” He becomes Pakistan’s tenth NSA, filling a position that had been vacant since April 2022, when Dr Moeed Yusuf last held the post under the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government.
The appointment comes in the wake of the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which claimed 26 lives, further straining Pakistan-India relations.
Lt Gen Malik brings a distinguished military background to the role. He previously led the Infantry Division in Balochistan and commanded a brigade in Waziristan. A recipient of the prestigious Sword of Honour, he has served as chief instructor at the National Defence University (NDU) and taught at the Command and Staff College in Quetta. His academic credentials include studies at Fort Leavenworth in the United States and the Royal College of Defence Studies in the UK, contributing to his extensive experience in military leadership and strategic affairs.
