Lt Gen Asim Malik to Continue as ISI Chief and National Security Adviser

Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt Gen Asim Malik will continue serving as Pakistan’s spymaster, sources confirmed. The 55-year-old general, who also holds the position of National Security Adviser, was appointed ISI chief in September 2024, replacing Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum. Lt Gen Malik is widely regarded as one of the Pakistan Army’s most capable officers. Earlier this year, he was given the additional charge of National Security Adviser amid heightened tensions with India after the Pahalgam attack. Before his appointment as ISI chief, Gen Malik served as Adjutant General at GHQ Rawalpindi. Commissioned in the Baloch Regiment, he commanded the Waziristan Infantry Brigade and served as Chief Instructor at the National Defence University. A graduate of Fort Leavenworth in the United States and the Royal College of Defence Studies in London, Lt Gen Malik also earned the prestigious Sword of Honour during his military training. His continued leadership is seen as crucial to Pakistan’s national security and intelligence coordination at a time of growing regional challenges.