ISI chief becomes national security adviser for the first time in Pakistan
With the new role, Malik is the 10th national security adviser of Pakistam, Dawn reported
Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik, the incumbent director general of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), has been appointed as the national security adviser of the Pakistan government for the first time in the country's history.
With the new role, Malik is the 10th national security adviser of Pakistam, Dawn reported.
The Cabinet Division issued a notification in this regard on Tuesday (29 April), which said Gen Malik would retain his role as ISI DG, a position he has held since September 2024.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
"Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik HI(M), DG (I), shall hold the additional charge of the national security adviser, with immediate effect," the notification stated.
The posting comes amid heightened tensions with India following the recent Pahalgam attack.
The NSA position had remained vacant since April 2022, when the PTI government was ousted after former prime minister Imran Khan lost a vote of confidence.
At the time, Moeed Yusuf was serving as the NSA.
The NSA holds the status of a federal minister and serves as the principal adviser to the prime minister on matters of national security, foreign policy, and strategic affairs.
The adviser also heads the National Security Division, based at the Prime Minister's Secretariat in Islamabad.
