KARACHI: Lieutenant General Muhammad Asim Malik will continue serving as the Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), according to security sources cited by The Express Tribune on Monday.
“Lt Gen Asim Malik is continuing his services in his present appointment,” the sources confirmed. The ISI chief, who also holds the position of National Security Adviser (NSA), had been scheduled to retire later this year.
Appointed as DG ISI in September 2024, Lt Gen Malik succeeded Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum. His appointment was announced by state-run Pakistan Television (PTV), a departure from the usual practice of such announcements being made by the Prime Minister’s Office or the military’s media wing.
In April 2025, the government assigned him the additional role of national security adviser to strengthen coordination between national security policymaking and its implementation.
Lt Gen Malik is widely regarded as one of the Pakistan Army’s most capable officers, particularly in operational command. Before becoming ISI chief, he served as Adjutant General at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, overseeing the army’s administrative, legal, and disciplinary affairs.
His previous commands include leading an infantry division in Balochistan and an infantry brigade in South Waziristan, both regions central to Pakistan’s counterterrorism operations.
A recipient of the prestigious Sword of Honour from the Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul, Lt Gen Malik is also a graduate of Fort Leavenworth in the United States and the Royal College of Defence Studies in the United Kingdom. His experience includes key assignments in the Military Operations Directorate and academic roles as chief instructor at the National Defence University (NDU) and instructor at the Command and Staff College, Quetta.
He is the son of Lt Gen (Retd) Ghulam Muhammad Malik, who held several senior military positions in the 1990s.
Lt Gen (Retd) Naeem Khalid Lodhi described him as “a quiet yet highly respected officer,” adding that as Adjutant General, he made significant contributions to the welfare of retired personnel, particularly regarding pensions and related matters.
