Pakistan’s new Spymaster

Lt. Gen. Muhammad Asim Malik took charge on Monday (September 30) as the Director General of Pakistan’s spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Lt. Gen. Malik, who succeeded Lt. Gen. Nadeem Anjum, arrives centrestage at a critical moment for the Pakistani military, which is facing backlash from the supporters of jailed former PM Imran Khan. Security threats from terror organisations are also on the rise, especially in the regions neighbouring Afghanistan.

The 59-year-old is currently a three-star general serving at the Army General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, said PTV News.

Generational Armyman

The son of former Lt. Gen. Ghulam Muhammad Malik, who was known as ‘General GM’, Muhammad Asim Malik completed his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Balochistan. He then pursued his graduate studies from two top defence colleges in the U.S. and U.K. – Fort Leavenworth and the Royal College of Defence Studies respectively. Returning to his homeland, he then followed in his father’s footsteps and underwent training at the Pakistan Military Academy, receiving the ‘Sword of Honour’ for achieving the best performance during his training at the Academy.

Lt. Gen Malik’s military career includes serving in the Balochistan infantry division and commanding the infantry brigade in Wazirstan. He has also trained cadets at the Command and Staff College, Quetta and served as chief instructor at the National Defence University (NDU) in Islamabad, where he obtained a doctorate in US-Pakistan relations, making him the first ISI-DG to hold a doctorate. In October 2021, when his predecessor Lt. Gen. Nadeem was elevated as ISI chief, Major Gen. Malik was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General and appointed as the Army’s adjutant general.

As the ISI chief officially reports to the Prime Minister’s office (PMO), Lt. Gen. Malik’s appointment was immediately confirmed by Mr. Shehbaz Sharif in consultation with the military on Monday — a sign of the current cordial relations between the civilian administration and the military establishment which has shaped Pakistani polity since Independence.

No process to pick ISI-DG

It is the military which has the final say in appointing the ISI-DG, as the official procedure is neither mentioned in the nation’s Constitution nor the Pakistan Army Act, states Pakistani daily Dawn. The ISI was created by an executive order and the powers to appoint the ISI-DG have been vested in the Prime Minister. As per convention, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) proposes three names to the PM and a candidate is picked by consensus.

This tradition was interrupted during Lt. Gen. Anjum’s appointment which came after a three-week standoff between Mr. Khan and the military, as he preferred to extend then ISI-DG Faiz Hameed’s tenure. Despite the Army’s announcement on October 6, 2021, appointing Lt. Gen. Anjum as the new ISI-DG and transferring Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed to the role of Peshawar corps commander, the PMO did not issue an official notification of Lt. Gen. Anjum’s appointment, publicising the growing feud between Mr. Khan and the Army.

Army crackdown

Currently, the Pakistan Army is cracking down heavily on Imran Khan and his allies, including his favoured spymaster – Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed, who faces a court-martial in connection with a 2017 housing scheme scandal. Mr. Hameed faces disciplinary action for violating provisions of the Army Act for allegedly orchestrating a raid on private construction company Top City in 2017 and then extorting its owner Moeez Ahmed Khan. His arrest marks the first time a former ISI-DG faces punitive action by the Army.

ISI chief Lt.Gen. Faiz Hameed, Pakistan PM Imran Khan and COAS Gen. Qamar Bajwa at ISI Secretriat, Pakistan

Incidentally, Lt. Gen. Hameed enjoyed close relations with former Army chief Qamar Bajwa and ex-PM Imran Khan and was responsible for propping up the former cricketer’s government. While Gen. Bajwa sought a record third term as Army Chief in November 2022, he was denied his request and replaced with Gen. Asim Munir. A miffed Lt. Gen. Hameed, who was also in contention for the post, opted for early retirement. Since then, his alleged links to Mr. Khan via his wife Bushra Bibi have been unearthed, inviting the Army’s ire.

In contrast, its current ISI-DG pick has stood by Gen. Munir, the Army chief, opposing Mr. Khan’s popularity and cracking down on street protests by his supporters. Moreover, Lt. Gen. Malik is not in contention for the post of Army Chief – posing no competition to Gen. Munir. With links to the US-UK military establishment and years of service in areas bordering Afghanistan dealing with rising militancy, Lt. Gen. Malik is tasked with the tenuous responsibility of steering Pakistan’s foreign policy, which is heavily influenced by the ISI.

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.