Pakistan Elevates ISI Chief to NSA Amid Rising Tensions with India
In a significant move, Pakistan has named Lieutenant General Muhammad Asim Malik, the current director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), as its new National Security Adviser (NSA). This appointment, which sees Malik retaining his ISI role, marks the first time a serving ISI chief has concurrently held both positions. The decision comes as tensions with India intensify following a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, 2025, which claimed 26 lives.
A notification from Pakistan’s Cabinet Division, issued on Tuesday, stated, “Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik HI (M), DG (I), shall hold the additional charge of the National Security Adviser, with immediate effect.” Malik, who assumed leadership of the ISI in October 2024, becomes Pakistan’s tenth NSA. The position had remained vacant since April 2022, when Dr. Moeed Yusuf stepped down after the ousting of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government.
The appointment coincides with heightened diplomatic and military friction between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. The Pahalgam attack has prompted a series of retaliatory measures, including India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, expulsion of Pakistani military attaches, closure of its airspace to Pakistani airlines, and sealing of the Attari-Wagah border. Pakistan, in turn, has barred Indian carriers from its airspace and bolstered security for Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed, fearing Indian covert operations.
Pakistan’s leadership has expressed concerns over potential Indian military action. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar cited “credible intelligence” suggesting an Indian strike could occur within 24 to 36 hours, warning of a decisive response. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has dismissed India’s accusations as “empty rhetoric” and called for a neutral investigation into the attack. Meanwhile, The Resistance Front, a proxy for Lashkar-e-Taiba, initially claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam assault but later retracted its statement, possibly under pressure from Pakistan’s defense establishment.
Malik’s dual role is seen as a strategic move to consolidate Pakistan’s security apparatus amid these escalating tensions. His appointment follows India’s restructuring of its National Security Advisory Board, with former R&AW chief Alok Joshi named as its head, signaling both nations’ efforts to strengthen their security frameworks in response to the crisis.