Who is Lt General Mohammad Asim Malik? ISI chief named National Security Advisor amid India-Pak tensions

The Pakistani government has recently appointed Lt Gen Mohammad Asim Malik as the National Security advisor (NSA) as tensions with India continue to rise after the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26. It is noteworthy that Malik already holds the position of Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan’s spy agency. 

He will continue in his current role as the Director General of ISI. A notification issued by the Cabinet Division stated, “Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik HI (M), DG (I), shall hold the additional charge of the National Security Adviser, with immediate effect.”

Malik is a graduate of Fort Leavenworth and Royal College of Defence Studies and serves as an adjutant general at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.

Malik is an experienced military commander, having previously commanded the Infantry Division in Balochistan and the Infantry Brigade in Waziristan. He has also received military accolades like the Sword of Honour, and also served as the chief instructor at the National Defence University (NDU), as well as an instructor at the Command and Staff College, Quetta.

Malik also reportedly has been a close confidante of Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir and enjoys support among the military community of Pakistan. His tenure as Adjutant General coincided with the crackdown on former PM Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, wherein many supporters and members of the party were arrested.

He will be Pakistan’s 10th NSA, but he will be the first ISI chief to simultaneously hold the post of NSA while continuing in his role for the ISI.

The post of National Security Advisor has remained vacant since 2022, after the ruling government under Imran Khan was ousted. Dr Moeed Yusuf served as the NSA for the Tehreek-e-Insaf government at that time.

(With PTI inputs)