Lieutenant General Muhammad Asim Malik, HI(M) is a Pakistani three-star general and the current Director-General of Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI), a position he has held since 30 September 2024.[1][2] He is the first PhD holder to be appointed Director-General of the ISI.[3]
Asim Malik | |
|---|---|
| عاصم ملک | |
| 31st Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence | |
| Assumed office 30 September 2024 | |
| President | Asif Ali Zardari |
| Prime Minister | Shehbaz Sharif |
| Preceded by | Lt. General Nadeem Anjum |
| Adjutant General GHQ (Pakistan) | |
| In office 6 October 2021 – 29 September 2024 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Shahpur Tehsil, Sargodha District, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Parent | Lt. Gen Ghulam Muhammad Malik (father) |
| Alma mater | University of Balochistan Fort Leavenworth Royal College of Defence Studies National Defence University Pakistan Military Academy |
| Awards |  Hilal-i-Imtiaz Sword of Honour (Pakistan) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service |  Pakistan Army |
| Rank |   Lieutenant General |
| Unit | 12 Baloch Regiment |
| Commands | Adjutant general GHQ 41 Infantry Division National Defence University (Chief instructor) |
| Battles/wars | |
Early life and education
editMalik was born to Lt. Gen. (R.) Ghulam Muhammad Malik into a Punjabi Awan family with their ancestral roots in Shahpur, a city located in the Sargodha District of the Punjab province.[4]
Malik earned his BSc (Hons) from the University of Balochistan in 1999[5] and then studied at Fort Leavenworth in the United States, where he has written thesis on Mountain Warfare titled as the Mountain Warfare: The Need for Specialist Training. Malik also attended the Royal College of Defence Studies in the United Kingdom.[5] Additionally, Malik obtained the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) on the US-Pakistan relations from the National Defence University.[3] He was a graduate of the Pakistan Military Academy's 80th Long Course and was the recipient of the Sword of Honour during his course.[6][5]
Military career
editMalik served as the Chief Instructor at the National Defence University in Islamabad and as an instructor at the Pakistan Command and Staff College in Quetta.[7]
Throughout his military career, he has been part of the Baloch Regiment.[7] As a major general, he led the 41st Infantry Division in Balochistan and commanded an Infantry Brigade in Waziristan.[5] He has also worked in the Military Operations Directorate.[8]
As Adjutant General
editIn October 2021, during his tenure as a Major General, Malik was elevated to the rank of Lieutenant General and was appointed to the position of Adjutant General (AG) at GHQ, Rawalpindi by then Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Qamar Javed Bajwa.[6][9]
In his role as AG of the Pakistan Army, Lt. Gen. Malik handled the investigation into the May 9 riots and was believed to have initiated and overseen the court martial proceedings of former Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence, Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed, who faced military trial on charges of corruption and breaches of military discipline following his retirement.[6][5][8]
As Director General ISI
editOn 23 September 2024, Malik was appointed to succeed Nadeem Anjum as the Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence (DG ISI), with his term beginning on 30 September 2024.[7][10] The announcement was made by the Pakistan Television Corporation, a departure from previous practice, where such appointments were typically announced by the Prime Minister's Office or Inter-Services Public Relations.[6][5] Although Malik has limited experience in intelligence-specific roles,[11] his appointment comes at a time of political instability, rising militancy, and heightened public attention on the ISI.[5]
Sources within military circles indicated that Malik shares a strong connection with COAS Asim Munir, who views him as a trusted confidant.[3]
Publications
edit- Mountain Warfare: The Need for Specialist Training, 2003.[12]
References
edit- ^ "Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik appointed new DG ISI". The Express Tribune. 23 September 2024. Archived from the original on 23 September 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
- ^ Bhaswar Kumar (23 September 2024). "Pakistan's ISI gets a new chief in Lt Gen Md Asim Malik: Who is he?". Business Standard. Archived from the original on 23 September 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
- ^ a b c "Gen Asim Malik appointed first PhD-holding chief of ISI". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
- ^ Banerji, Rana (24 September 2024). "Pakistan Gets A New ISI Boss". Rediff.com.
The Maliks are from the Awan tribe, hailing from Shahpur in Sargodha district, traditionally part of central Punjab's recruiting heartland for the Pakistan army.
- ^ a b c d e f g Syed, Baqir Sajjad (2024-09-24). "Gen Asim Malik named new ISI chief". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
- ^ a b c d kamran.yousaf (2024-09-23). "Lt Gen Asim Malik appointed new DG ISI". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
- ^ a b c Dawn.com (2024-09-23). "Lt Gen Asim Malik appointed new DG ISI: state media". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 2024-09-23. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
- ^ a b "Who Is Pakistan's New Spy Chief Lt General Asim Malik?". The Friday Times. 2024-09-23. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
- ^ Chaudhry, Dawn com | Fahad (2021-10-06). "In military shuffle, Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum replaces Lt Gen Faiz Hameed as top spymaster". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 2024-09-23. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
- ^ Rehman, Laiq Ur (2024-09-23). "Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik appointed as DG ISI". ARY NEWS. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
- ^ Hussain, Abid. "Who is Pakistan's new spy chief Asim Malik?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
- ^ Malik, Muhammad Asim (February 23, 2015). "Mountain Warfare: The Need for Specialist Training".