Who is Pakistan's new ISI chief Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik? Why is the post important?

Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has a new boss.

Lieutenant General Muhammad Asim Malik has been appointed the chief of Pakistan’s spy agency.

Malik’s appointment was announced by Pakistani state broadcaster PTV News on its official X account.

Malik is set to take charge of the ISI on September 30.

His predecessor Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum, who has held the position since 2021, was appointed by former prime minister Imran Khan.

Malik’s appointment comes a month after the arrest of ex-ISI chief Faiz Hameed.

But what do we know about Malik?

Let’s take a closer look:

Who is he?

Malik is currently serving as an Adjutant General at the general headquarters in Rawalpindi.

This position looks after the administrative functions of the Pakistan Army.

He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general in October 2021.

Malik graduated from Fort Leavenworth in the United States and the Royal College of Defence Studies in the United Kingdom.

He also received a Sword of Honor – an award bestowed on the best student in the Pakistani Military Academy.

He led the Infantry Brigade in Waziristan and the Infantry Division in Balochistan – both volatile regions key to Pakistan’s internal security.

He also served as the chief instructor at National Defence University (NDU), as well as an instructor at Command and Staff College Quetta.

Why is the post important?

The post of ISI director general, usually a serving military officer, is one of the most powerful positions in Pakistan, at the intersection of domestic politics, the military and foreign relations.

While the ISI chief technically reports to the prime minister, he is controlled by Pakistan’s army chief.

As per Dawn, the method of appointing the ISI chief is not laid out in Pakistan’s constitution or in the Army Act.

Instead, the army chief recommends names to the prime minister who takes the final call.

Imran alleges that the current ISI chief Anjum, whom he appointed in 2021, is being used to target him.

As per Dawn, Anjum began his career in September 1988.

He previously commanded Corps V in Karachi, led a brigade in Kurram Agency, commanded the Frontier Corps (North) in Balochistan, and served as commandant of the Command and Staff College in Quetta, before becoming Karachi corps commander in December 2020.

The appointment of the new ISI chief comes one month after the probe took an unexpected turn after the former ISI chief Faiz Hameed’s arrest when an iPhone discovered in Chakwal reportedly unveiled details of his relationship with Imran Khan.

On August 12, Pakistan’s military announced that General Hameed had been arrested due to “multiple instances of violation” of the Army Act following his retirement in December 2022, according to Geo News.

The military further stated, “The process of Field General Court Martial has been initiated, and Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed has been taken into military custody.”

The Pakistani military explained that the action against the former ISI chief was in line with the orders of the Supreme Court, which in 2023 called for an investigation after a land development company named Top City filed a petition, Geo News reported.

The company alleged that Hameed and his brother had acquired ownership of several properties and had even blackmailed the company’s owner.

Several senior judges have also alleged, in a letter to the chief justice that was published in local media, that ISI agents were applying pressure on them to decide cases against Khan.

A standoff between Khan and the army over the appointment of the ISI chief in 2021 is believed to have led to a falling out with top generals, which was followed by his ouster from the premiership months later.

Pakistan’s army, which denies pressuring judges or any role in politics, ruled Pakistan for more than three decades from 1958 and continues to exercise control over key areas of governance in the country.

With inputs from agencies