Islamabad, 1 May

Pakistan has appointed serving ISI chief Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik as the new National Security Adviser (NSA) amidst raging tension with India.

Lt Gen Malik, currently serving as Director General of Pakistan’s spy agency – Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), will hold the additional charge of the NSA.

He is the country’s tenth NSA, but it is for the first time that a serving ISI chief has been given the task to serve concurrently in the two key positions.

Malik was appointed as the Director General of the ISI in October 2024.

“Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik HI (M), DG (I), shall hold the additional charge of the National Security Adviser, with immediate effect,” the notification stated.

The posting comes amid heightened tensions with India following the recent Pahalgam terror attack on 22 April, in which 26 people were killed. Baisaran, a popular tourist spot near Pahalgam known as ‘mini Switzerland’, was attacked by armed terrorists who opened fire on visitors enjoying pony rides, food stalls, and picnics in the scenic meadow. The bodies of victims of the Pahalgam terror attack were brought to Srinagar first and then sent to their hometowns for last rites and burial - some with state honors.

Lt Gen Malik previously commanded the Infantry Division in Balochistan and the Infantry Brigade in Waziristan. He has also received a Sword of Honour in his course and served as the chief instructor at the National Defence University (NDU), as well as an instructor at the Command and Staff College Quetta.

He is a graduate of Fort Leavenworth and the Royal College of Defence Studies. He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge, having held various leadership roles in the military over the years.

The NSA position had remained vacant since April 2022, when the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government was ousted.

Dr Moeed Yusuf was serving as the NSA at that time.