By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military on Monday named Lieutenant General Muhammad Asim Malik as the next head of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the country’s premier intelligence agency, effective Sept. 30.
“Lt. Gen. Muhammad Asim Malik has been appointed as DG ISI,” state broadcaster PTV News on its official X account. “Lt. Gen. Asim Malik will assume charge of his new responsibilities on Sept. 30.”
General Malik, currently adjutant general at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, replaces Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum, appointed by then-Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2021.
A veteran of several key postings, General Malik was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed adjutant general in October 2021. His previous roles include serving in the Balochistan infantry division and commanding an infantry brigade in Waziristan.
General Malik also served as chief instructor at National Defence University, Islamabad, and instructor at Command and Staff College, Quetta. He graduated from Fort Leavenworth, USA, and Royal College of Defence Studies, London, and received the Sword of Honour in his course.
The head of the ISI occupies one of the country’s most powerful positions.
The ISI, comparable to the US CIA and Israel’s Mossad, is a key player in Pakistan’s national security apparatus, with significant influence on policy, particularly regarding Afghanistan and India.
Pakistan’s military, which has ruled the country for nearly half its 77-year history, remains a dominant force, wielding considerable power under civilian administrations.
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