The federal government has appointed Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lieutenant General Mohammad Asim Malik, as the new National Security Adviser (NSA), according to an official notification issued by the Cabinet Division.
With this appointment, Lt Gen Asim Malik becomes the tenth person to assume the role of National Security Adviser. He will retain his position as the head of the ISI while concurrently holding the additional charge of NSA, marking the first time in Pakistan’s history that a serving ISI chief has been entrusted with the responsibility of advising the Prime Minister on national security affairs.
The notification stated that Lt Gen Asim Malik, who holds the military award of Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military), will take up the new assignment with immediate effect.
This high-profile appointment comes at a time of heightened tensions with India following the recent attack in Pahalgam, underscoring the significance of cohesive strategic leadership amid evolving regional security dynamics.
The post of National Security Adviser had remained vacant since April 2022, following the ouster of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government after then Prime Minister Imran Khan lost a vote of confidence. Dr Moeed Yusuf was the last to serve in the position.
The NSA holds the status of a federal minister and serves as the principal adviser to the Prime Minister on matters concerning national security, foreign policy, and strategic affairs. The adviser also heads the National Security Division, based at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat in Islamabad.
