ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has appointed spy chief Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik as the new National Security Adviser (NSA) amidst raging tension with India.

Malik was appointed as the director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in October 2024.

According to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division on Tuesday, General Malik was formally given the task of the NSA.

“Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik HI (M), DG (I), shall hold the additional charge of the National Security Adviser, with immediate effect,” the notification stated.

He is the country’s tenth NSA, but it is for the first time that a serving ISI chief was given the task to serve concurrently in the two key positions.

The posting comes amid heightened tensions with India following the recent Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, in which 26 people were killed.

The NSA position had remained vacant since April 2022, when the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government was ousted.

Dr Moeed Yusuf was serving as the NSA at that time.