Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik has been named the new Director General of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the country’s premier spy agency, state-run TV announced on Monday. He will take over the role on September 30, replacing the outgoing DG, Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum.
Currently serving as adjutant general at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, Lt Gen Malik brings extensive military experience to his new position. He has previously commanded the Infantry Division in Balochistan and the Infantry Brigade in Waziristan, and served as chief instructor at the National Defence University (NDU) and instructor at Command and Staff College Quetta. He is also a recipient of the prestigious Sword of Honour and holds qualifications from Fort Leavenworth in the United States and the Royal College of Defence Studies in the United Kingdom.
The ISI chief is officially appointed by the prime minister, traditionally in consultation with the army chief. The position is one of the most influential in Pakistan’s military, which has had a dominant role in the country’s politics and security.
Lt Gen Malik takes over at a crucial time for the ISI, a key player in both domestic and international intelligence and security operations. His predecessor, Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum, was appointed in 2021 under the administration of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
(With agency inputs)