ISLAMABAD — Lieutenant General Muhammad Asim Malik is set to continue serving as Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and National Security Adviser (NSA), journalist Hassan Ayub Khan said quoting senior security sources.
In his recent vlog, the journo claims that Malik will remain in charge of intelligence agency for another year and maintain his role as the national security adviser. The development comes as Pakistan continues to face major security challenges, including militant violence and heightened regional tensions.
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ڈی جی ISI کو ایک سال کی مزید توسیع مل گئی!
لیفٹننٹ جنرل عاصم ملک کو حکومت پاکستان نے ایک سال کی بطورDG ISI توسیع دیدی ہے،اس فیصلے پر وزیر اعظم اور چیف آف ڈیفنس فورسز دونوں کا اتفاق ہے،وزیر اعظم کا یہ اختیار تھا اور ان کی خواہش پر چیف آف ڈیفنس فورسز نے… pic.twitter.com/VXiNs76oud— Hassan Ayub Official (@hassanayub92) September 19, 2026
Asim Malik took charge as DG ISI on September 30, 2024, succeeding Lieutenant General Nadeem Anjum. Before his appointment as intelligence chief, he was serving as Adjutant General at General Headquarters.
In April 2025, Malik was given the additional responsibility of National Security Adviser, making him the first serving ISI chief to simultaneously hold the NSA position. A Cabinet Division notification confirmed that he would retain his position as DG ISI while taking on the additional charge.
The reported extension means Malik is expected to remain at the centre of Pakistan’s intelligence and national-security decision-making rather than being replaced amid speculation over possible changes in the country’s senior military appointments.
The development also puts to rest, at least for the reported period, speculation about possible successors to Malik as DG ISI. He mentioned that reports suggesting Major General Wajid Aziz or Major General Faisal Naseer would move into the intelligence chief’s position were incorrect.
Faisal Naseer has been posted to the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA), while Wajid Aziz has also received a new posting. It argues that neither posting should automatically be interpreted as preparation for the DG ISI position.
DG ISI Asim Malik
Malik joined the Pakistan Army through the 80th Pakistan Military Academy Long Course and received the Sword of Honour. He belongs to the Baloch Regiment and has held several senior operational and instructional positions.
Profile: Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik: All you need to know about new spymaster
Before becoming DG ISI, he commanded an infantry brigade in Waziristan and an infantry division in Balochistan. He also served as an instructor at the Command and Staff College in Quetta and as chief instructor at the National Defence University. He is a graduate of Fort Leavenworth in the United States and the Royal College of Defence Studies in the United Kingdom.
His appointment as NSA has given him an unusually broad role spanning intelligence assessment and national-security policy. Dawn reported at the time that the NSA serves as the prime minister’s principal adviser on national security, foreign policy and strategic affairs.
