Asim Mailk

Muhammad Asim Malik, is a Pakistani three-star general and the current Director-General of Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI), a position he has held since 30 September 2024. He is the first PhD holder to be appointed Director-General of the ISI.

Early life and education Malik was born to Lt. Gen. (R.) Ghulam Muhammad Malik into a Punjabi Awan family with their ancestral roots in Shahpur, a city located in the Sargodha District of the Punjab province.

Malik earned his BSc (Hons) from the University of Balochistan in 1999 and then studied at Fort Leavenworth in the United States, where he has written thesis on mountain warfare titled as the Mountain Warfare: The Need for Specialist Training. Malik also attended the Royal College of Defence Studies in the United Kingdom. He was a graduate of the Pakistan Military Academy's 80th Long Course and was the recipient of the Sword of Honour during his course.

Malik served as the Chief Instructor at the National Defence University in Islamabad and as an instructor at the Pakistan Command and Staff College in Quetta.

Throughout his military career, he has been part of the Baloch Regiment.

Elevation to Adjutant-General (AG) In October 2021, during his tenure as a Major General, Malik was elevated to the rank of Lieutenant General and was appointed to the position of Adjutant General (AG) at GHQ, Rawalpindi by then Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Qamar Javed Bajwa.

In his role as AG of the Pakistan Army, Lt. Gen. Malik handled the investigation into the May 9 riots and was believed to have initiated and overseen the court martial proceedings of former Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence, Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed, who faced military trial on charges of corruption and breaches of military discipline following his retirement. The announcement was made by the Pakistan Television Corporation, a departure from previous practice, where such appointments were typically announced by the Prime Minister's Office or Inter-Services Public Relations. his appointment comes at a time of political instability, rising militancy, and heightened public attention on the ISI.

Following the conflict, he was awarded the Sitara-e-Basalat for his role in the conflict.

Publications Mountain Warfare: The Need for Specialist Training, 2003.

Awards and decorations

Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military)

(Crescent of Excellence)Sitara-e-BasalatTamgha-e-Diffa (General Service Medal)Tamgha-e-Baqa (Nuclear Test Medal)

1998Tamgha-e-Istaqlal Pakistan (Escalation with India Medal)

2002Tamgha-e-Azm (Medal of Conviction)

(Democracy Medal) 1988Qarardad-e-Pakistan Tamgha (Resolution Day

Golden Jubilee Medal)

1990Tamgha-e-Salgirah Pakistan (Independence Day

Golden Jubilee Medal)

1997Command and Staff College Quetta Centenary Student's Medal 2005United Nations MONUSCO (2 Deployments)

Effective dates of promotion