Introduction
One of the most important jobs in Pakistan is that of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) head who is considered by most to be second in power to the Army Chief. The present incumbent Lieutenant General Nadeem Anjum was appointed in November 2021 by former Prime Minister Imran Khan during the tenure of General Qamar Javed Bajwa had been given a one-year extension and there was speculation of whether he would retire on 30 September or be given another extension.
A standoff between Imran 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.
Now Lieutenant General Asim Malik has been appointed the new Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). He will assume his new position on 30 September 2024.
The appointment has been approved by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, following recommendations from the Army. Lieutenant General Malik is presently the Adjutant General at the General Headquarters (GHQ) which deals with a wide spectrum of issues relating to manpower planning, human resource policy, recruitment and discipline in the Army including the investigation of the high-profile case involving a former ISI Chief Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed. As the Judge Advocate General (JAG) comes directly under the Adjutant General, the decision to use Army Courts to try civilians – which essentially denies the right of appeal would also have had his stamp of recommendation.
He has commanded 41 Infantry Division in Quetta, Balochistan and an Infantry Brigade in the volatile region of Waziristan. Both regions experienced high levels of insurgent activity. He has also held instructional roles at the National Defence University and Command and Staff College in Quetta.
Considered a close confidant of General Asim Munir with whom he shares a strong rapport his appointment comes a month after the arrest of Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed a former DG ISI who is considered to be close to former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Background
An infantry officer from the Baloch Regiment, which incidentally is the same Regiment as that of General Bajwa and General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. He is a graduate of Pakistan Military Academy’s 80th Long Course and recipient of the prestigious Sword of Honour.
He is a Punjabi belonging to the Awan tribe and owes his roots to Khushab which is one of the prime recruiting areas for the Pakistani Army. His father, Lieutenant General Ghulam Mohammed Malik, who passed out from Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and was Corps Commander of X Corps Rawalpindi and held significant positions during the tenures of Army Chiefs General Waheed Kakar and General Jahangir Karamat. It was during his tenure that the Hafiz Saeed, of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was invited to Headquarters X Corps to address officers on “character building”.
Lieutenant General Malik’s qualifications extend beyond national boundaries. His training includes specialised courses at the renowned Fort Leavenworth in the US and the Royal College of Defence Studies in the UK, giving him a nuanced understanding of Western strategic frameworks that may significantly influence future relations.
In his research thesis, “Mountain Warfare: The Need for Specialist Training,” submitted for his Master’s degree from Fort Leavenworth, General Malik drew lessons from conflicts in Kashmir, Afghanistan, and World War II. He critiqued traditional military approaches, noting: “Senior leaders consider themselves well-equipped for planning and conducting operations in any kind of environment. This is unfortunately not always true.”
His academic background, especially his PhD work on Pakistan-US relations at the National Defence University, was intended to deepen his understanding of the complicated and often tense relationship between the two countries.
His profile indicates that he has been groomed for the most prestigious appointments in the Army. In normal circumstances he would have been given command of a Corps. But his appointment to the ISI underscores the strong confidence the Army Chief has in him.
Selection Procedure
As per a report in the Dawn there is no set procedure for appointing the DG ISI in the public domain. It is said that a summary is sent to the Prime Minister with three names out of which he selects one probable whom he deems fit for the appointment. The Ministry of Defense stated that four names were shortlisted and sent to the Prime Minister who approved the name of Lieutenant General Malik for the role.
“There has been a conventional sort of understanding that because the ISI reports to the Prime Minister and was created by an executive order
“The convention is that the Army Chief holds consultations with the Prime Minister regarding potential candidates for the post. He also suggests who is best suited for the job. “Once there is a consensus between the two, the Defence Ministry sends a summary to the Prime Minister for the appointment of that person as the Director General of the ISI”.
While this is the standard procedure, it is believed that the Army Chief usually informs the Prime Minister in advance about who he believes is the most suitable candidate appointment. If the prime minister exercises his discretion and appoints an ISI chief of his choosing, it could lead to tensions between the civilian government and the military leadership.
Incidentally General Asim Munir the current Army Chief was also the DG ISI but his tenure lasted less than nine months as he was replaced by Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed.
Pointers
The ISI is often described as a ‘state within a state’. The post of DG ISI is one of the most powerful positions in Pakistan, at the intersection of domestic politics, the military and foreign relations. Though he technically reports to the Prime Minister it takes its directive from the Army.
In fact, Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed, when he was DG (Counter Intelligence) in ISI, was said to have been involved in the political engineering that helped Imran Khan become Prime Minister. Subsequent events have proved that Hameed was indeed Khan’s man. He was arrested in August following orders from the country’s highest court over allegations that he misused his position to grab land for a housing project known as the Top City scheme. He faces other charges that have not been disclosed.
Several senior judges have also alleged, in a letter to the Chief Justice that was published in Pakistani media, that ISI agents were applying pressure on them to decide cases against Imran Khan.
As per a report in the Friday Times, following the 2024 general elections, senior journalist Suhail Warraich wrote a column describing the ongoing friction between Lieutenant General Nadeem Anjum and Major General Faisal Naseer the DG (Counter Intelligence) in the ISI. He claimed that the two senior officials could not work together, and one of them had to go. He speculated that if the Army Chief decides to give the current government a free hand, Lieutenant General Nadeem Anjum would prevail, as he had been advising the Army Chief from the beginning to follow the model of ‘a neighbouring region for development’. However, Lieutenant General Faisal Naseer believes that the army and its leadership should retain control over national affairs.
The question that remains to be answered is whether the retirement of Lieutenant General Nadeem Anjum signals the Army’s future strategy.
Conclusion
The timing of this appointment is critical, with Pakistan set to host the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit shortly after he takes charge. He will also confront a myriad of challenges. The agency’s reputation is currently marred by allegations of political interference. Moreover, the turbulent security situation in Balochistan, combined with rising insurgency threats from the TTP in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, poses significant hurdles which include maintaining Chinese trust in Pakistan’s ability to protect its workers and investments in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor against terrorist attacks.
The new appointment hence comes at a critical time, as Lieutenant General Malik takes charge amid a challenging internal environment marked by political instability, rising militancy, and growing public scrutiny of the ISI’s role. His leadership will be crucial as Pakistan navigates its complex security landscape while attempting to restore public trust in its military institutions.
His academic accomplishments and military experience position him as a potentially transformative figure for Pakistan’s intelligence apparatus. Whether he will be able to bridge the gap between civil-military relations while effectively responding to external and internal pressures remains to be seen.
But the way such institutions function these appointments don’t change direction or policies in a drastic manner. While every new leader brings some change. But whether he can significantly improve the institution’s legacy is unlikely. Further, given his pedigree and proximity to the Army Chief there is no doubt that the ISI will continue to march as per the drumbeat of the Army.
