ISI Chief appointed National Security Adviser

ISLAMABAD: Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lieutenant General Muhammad Asim Malik has been appointed as Pakistan’s new National Security Adviser (NSA).

He becomes the 10th person to hold the post while continuing to serve as Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). A formal notification to this effect has been issued by the Cabinet Division.

According to Dawn, this is the first time a serving ISI chief has also been given the role of NSA.

The notification states that Lt Gen Asim Malik, Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military), will assume the additional charge with immediate effect.

Pakistan warns of strong retaliation to Indian aggression

His appointment comes at a sensitive time, amid rising tensions with India following the recent Pahalgam attack.

The NSA position had been vacant since April 2022, when the PTI government was ousted and Moeed Yusuf left the post.

The NSA holds the status of a federal minister and acts as the Prime Minister’s principal adviser on national security, foreign policy, and strategic matters.

The adviser also heads the National Security Division, based in the Prime Minister’s Secretariat in Islamabad.

Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to ease tensions in the region, fears of a military confrontation between Pakistan and India remained high on Wednesday.

Tensions spiked after Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, in a late-night statement, warned of a potential Indian incursion within the next 24 to 36 hours.

According to the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), Pakistani forces responded strongly to an unprovoked Indian ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC), destroying an Indian checkpost during a late-night exchange on April 29-30.