Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the continuation of his services, official sources confirmed on Monday.

Lt Gen Malik, who was appointed DG ISI in September 2024, replacing Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum, was also given the additional charge of National Security Adviser (NSA) in April 2025, a move aimed at ensuring closer coordination between national security policymaking and its implementation.

Security officials said the decision reflects the government’s confidence in Lt Gen Malik’s leadership and his ability to steer the country’s premier intelligence agency during a period of complex regional and domestic challenges.

Lt Gen Asim Malik is widely regarded as one of the most capable and professionally accomplished officers in the Pakistan Army.

He has commanded an infantry division in Balochistan and an infantry brigade in South Waziristan, both areas that have been central to Pakistan’s national security operations over the past two decades.

A Sword of Honour recipient from the Pakistan Military Academy, Lt Gen Malik is a graduate of the US Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth and the Royal College of Defence Studies, UK.

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

He is the son of Lt Gen (Retd) Ghulam Muhammad Malik, who held senior command positions in the Pakistan Army during the 1990s.