Facing heightened tensions with India following the recent Pahalgam terror attack, the Pakistan government has named Lieutenant General Muhammad Asim Malik, the current Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), as the new National Security Adviser (NSA).
A notification from the Cabinet Division on Tuesday confirmed that Gen Malik would hold the NSA post in addition to his current role as ISI chief, which he assumed in September 2024. This dual appointment marks the first time a serving ISI head will simultaneously serve as Pakistan’s top national security strategist.
The notification stated, “Lt. Gen. Muhammad Asim Malik HI(M), DG (I), shall hold the additional charge of the National Security Adviser, with immediate effect.”
This move comes as a strategic measure amidst a volatile security climate following the 22 April terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam region that left 26 dead. The cross-border hostilities have intensified along both the Line of Control (LoC) and the Line of Actual Control (LoAC), with intermittent exchange of fire reported over the past week.
Gen Malik becomes the tenth individual and the first from ISI to be appointed NSA. The post had been vacant since April 2022, following the ouster of the Imran Khan-led government. Moeed Yusuf was the last to serve in the role.
The NSA holds the rank of a federal minister and acts as the Prime Minister’s chief adviser on national security, strategic affairs, and foreign policy. The adviser also heads the National Security Division, functioning from the Prime Minister’s Secretariat in Islamabad.
Amid rising hostilities, international actors including the United Nations, the UN Security Council, and key global powers have urged both nuclear-armed neighbours to exercise maximum restraint. Several countries maintaining diplomatic ties with both New Delhi and Islamabad have offered to mediate and help de-escalate the situation.
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