Lt Gen Asim Malik to continue as Inter-Services Intelligence chief

Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt Gen Asim Malik will continue to serve in his position as the chief of the powerful spy agency, a media report said on Monday.

"Lt Gen Asim Malik is continuing his services in his present appointment," The Express Tribune newspaper reported, citing security sources.

Lt Gen Malik, who also serves as the national security advisor (NSA), was due to retire later this year, it said.

However, the paper did not give the exact date of his retirement. It also did not specify if his army service would be extended, which the government can do, or if he would continue in the present role after formal retirement.

He was appointed head of the ISI in September 2024, replacing Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum. He was given the additional charge of the NSA in April 2025 by the government.

The ISI is Pakistan's powerful spy agency. In 1950, it was officially given the task of safeguarding Pakistani interests and national security, inside and outside the country.

The post of ISI chief is considered one of the most important in the Pakistan Army, which has ruled the country for more than half of its 78-plus years of existence and has hitherto wielded considerable power in matters of security and foreign policy.

Lt Gen Malik is regarded as one of the Pakistan Army's most capable officers, particularly in operational command roles.

Before taking office, he served as the adjutant general at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, overseeing military administrative affairs, including legal and disciplinary matters, for three years.

He has commanded an infantry division in Balochistan and an infantry brigade in South Waziristan — both regions that have remained focal points of security challenges for nearly two decades.

He was a recipient of the prestigious Sword of Honour at the Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul – an honour given to the best all-around gentleman cadet, lady cadet, or aviation cadet of a graduating course.

A graduate of Fort Leavenworth (USA) and the Royal College of Defence Studies (UK), Lt Gen Malik has also held key positions in the Military Operations Directorate. He has served as chief instructor at the National Defence University (NDU) and as an instructor at the Command and Staff College in Quetta.