Lieutenant General Asim Malik, a powerful figure in the Pakistan Army, is set to begin his role as the head of the military intelligence organization (ISI) on September 30. Malik, a strong figure within the Pakistan Army, previously commanded infantry units in the crisis-stricken regions of Balochistan and Waziristan in Pakistan. Pakistani media have referred to him as one of the army’s most elite figures, noting that his father was also a senior general.
In addition, Asim Malik is the first head of the ISI to have a doctoral degree. Pakistani journalist Izzat Saeed wrote that Malik has close ties with Asim Munir, the current army chief, and that Malik had previously turned down two key posts within the army. He has received military training at Fort Leavenworth in the United States and the Royal College of Defence Studies in the UK, and his doctoral thesis focused on the analysis of Pakistan-US relations. Malik’s father was a senior general in the Pakistan Army, at one time commanding the Rawalpindi Division.
Asim Malik’s appointment to this important position has been approved by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is accused of gaining power with military support. Malik will replace Nadeem Anjum, who was appointed by Imran Khan in 2021.
What is the Mission of Pakistan's Military Intelligence?
Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is one of the most important and powerful intelligence agencies in the country. In the past two years, amid political tensions and increasing insecurity, the ISI has been accused of meddling in election engineering, suppressing government critics, and using force to quell public protests.
One of ISI’s key roles is gathering intelligence from foreign countries, particularly India, Afghanistan, and neighboring regions. As the foreign intelligence arm of Pakistan’s military, the ISI collects strategic information on political, military, and economic activities of potential adversaries.
After the collapse of the Republic in Afghanistan and the Taliban's return to power in August 2021, General Faiz Hameed, the former head of the ISI, became the first foreign official to visit Afghanistan in early September, just two weeks after the Taliban took Kabul. During the formation of the Taliban’s cabinet and their offensive in Panjshir, Hameed was present in Kabul. A few weeks after the cabinet formation, sources within the Taliban revealed that Hameed played a key role in assigning key positions to Taliban figures and advised the group’s leadership on the cabinet’s structure.
In addition to its foreign missions, the ISI deals with Pakistan’s internal security issues. It plays a crucial role in countering internal threats such as insurgencies, terrorism, and other security challenges to maintain national security. In Afghanistan, ISI is often seen as a supporter and backer of the Afghan Taliban during their war against the former Afghan government and NATO forces. Although previous Pakistani governments denied supporting the Afghan Taliban, the safe havens for Taliban leaders and fighters in Pakistan clearly indicated significant backing from Pakistan’s security institutions.
India also accuses the ISI of supporting insurgent and jihadist groups operating in Kashmir, while Pakistani officials reject these claims and counter-accuse Indian intelligence of funding groups like Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).
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| Lieutenant General Asim Malik-HamzaAzhrSalam/X |
Asim Malik’s Challenges
Despite growing up in a military family and working in Waziristan and Balochistan, regions experiencing increased unrest and conflict, it would be difficult to underestimate the threats and challenges Asim Malik faces. The Balochistan Liberation Army, with around 5,000 fighters, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), with approximately 60,000 fighters, and ISIS-Khorasan, which is believed to have between 2,500 and 6,000 fighters across Afghanistan and Pakistan, are among the groups threatening Pakistan's security.
These experienced groups are the result of nearly two decades of conflict in Pakistan and have now evolved into significant threats. The return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan has revitalized terrorist and separatist groups in Pakistan, as these groups now have access to stockpiles of US military weapons. Over the past three years, parts of these jihadist and separatist groups in Pakistan have been equipped with these arms.
Two months ago, the Pakistan Army announced Operation "Azm-e-Istihkam" to curb the threats posed by terrorist groups like the TTP, but so far, this operation has not produced tangible results.
The Pakistani government accuses the Afghan Taliban regime of supporting the TTP, and Asim Munir has repeatedly called on the Afghan Taliban to honor their commitments under the Doha Agreement. Over the past three years, Pakistan’s military has targeted several senior TTP commanders in Afghanistan through airstrikes, and it has frequently clashed with Afghan Taliban border forces.
Security data from the past three years, following the Taliban’s return to power, show an increasing number of deadly attacks in Pakistan. Pakistani security agencies report that a number of Afghan Taliban suicide attackers have joined the ranks of the Pakistani Taliban, and this trend is on the rise.
Thus, the challenge that Asim Malik faces as the head of Pakistan’s military intelligence is a multi-layered and complex threat, with part of it stemming from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
Mukhtar Wafayee, for Independent Persian
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