While Asim Malik's role in Pakistan's recent warming up of relations with the US is acknowledged, army watchers note a recent distancing, what with Asim Munir not wanting his DG, ISI to share the limelight during his subsequent sojourns to Tampa and Brussels, points out Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
Sajjad Hossain's October 6 report in the Express Tribune about Director General, Inter Services Intelligence (DG, ISI) Lieutenant General Asim Malik continuing in his post has predictably led to all manner of speculative tongue-wagging among Pakistani analysts about possible ramifications on the internal political scene and rumblings within senior military echelons.
October 6, 2021 marked Asim Malik's promotion as lieutenant general in the Pakistan army. He is a sword of honour from the 80th Long Course at the Pakistan military academy, Kakul and the senior-most three star general currently.
Such orders are usually issued under the vague bureaucratic phrase 'till further orders', as this one has apparently. It is not even clear whether the order emerged from the prime minister's office or army Headquarters.
Yet, technically his four year term would have meant an end to his military career if usual procedures of the Pakistan Army Act, 1952 were to prevail. He could continue to don the national security adviser post in a 'civilian' avatar, which has not been chosen as the preferred path for his continuance.
Precedents exist, from fairly recent times of extensions being given to directors general, ISI for their unstinted loyalty to the army chief and general reliability in this powerful post, the cases in point being those of Lieutenant General Ahmed Shuja Pasha (October 2011-March 2012), under General Ashfaq Kayani and Lieutenant General Nadeem Anjum (September 2023 - September 2024), under Generals Qamar Bajwa and Asim Munir.
Lieutenant General Pasha survived in his post despite the debacle of Osama bin Laden's discovery and elimination by US commandos in Abbotabad, located close to the PMA, Kakul.
Lieutenant General Anjum weathered a combative Imran Khan's tirade against the army leadership just before Asim Munir's accession (May-November 2022), aided by the then ambitious serving contender, Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed.
One view is that the extension has been given to cause the least amount of heartburn among currently serving three star generals, who could be aspiring for elevation to a four star general's post. The Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) post falls vacant on November 27, 2025.
If Asim Malik were to continue as lieutenant general, he would become junior and stand superseded if someone else from the current crop of serving three stars is elevated as the CJCSC.
Sources close to the Pakistan Tehrik e Insaf party allege that even General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, the incumbent CJCSC and hitherto known to be a completely 'straight bat' professional, has let out feelers for a possible extension. This could pose a minor dilemma to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Asim Munir.
Another opinion holds that with Asim Munir becoming a five-star field marshal, two posts of four star generals will be available in November, so both Asim Malik and one other Munir favourite could be elevated if only to contain the disgruntlement at this level against the army chief's indefinite and long tenure.
While Asim Malik's role in the recent warming up of relations with the United States is acknowledged, army watchers note a recent distancing, what with Asim Munir not wanting his DG, ISI to share the limelight during his subsequent sojourns to Tampa and Brussels, where he appeared to cross all red lines in his vitriolic anti-India outpourings before the Pakistani origin diaspora. These analysts allege that the extension may not last too long and could be intended to eventually render Asim Malik toothless.
Contenders for the DG ISI's post abound. Among serving three star Generals, Quartermaster Muhd Hassan Khattak, 16 Frontier Force Regiment, of the 84th PMA, was recently promoted from the post of DG (K) (for Kashmir desk?) in the ISI.
Akif Iqbal, 37 Punjab Regiment of the 84th PMA, is the second senior most major general chaffing for promotion. He is currently Deputy DG, Counter Terrorism at the ISI.
Another ISI officer is Major General Mohd Shahbaz Tabassum, 82nd PMA, currently, DG (X). He belongs to the Corps of Military Intelligence, whose career ladder usually stops at the two star level.
Slightly lower in the pecking order stands Wajid Aziz, 39 Punjab, of the 86th PMA, who was appointed director general, military intelligence, by Asim Munir. He hails from a conservative army family and is regarded as very close to the army chief.
Not to be underestimated is Major General Faisal Naseer, 85th PMA, also from the Corps of military intelligence but extremely powerful as DG Counter Intelligence in the ISI and loyal to Asim Munir in neutralising the challenge posed to him by the Imran Khan-Faiz Hameed duo in the days gone by.
Amidst this churn, nothing is being heard about what fate may befall Faiz Hameed. His court martial proceedings have long been completed but the outcome is being kept tightly under wraps for a possible conspiracy link up charge with Imran Khan, even as the now seemingly pliable higher Pakistani judiciary deals with May 9, 2023 violence cases.
One report claims a desperate Faiz Hameed reportedly asked his defence lawyer to call former army chief General Bajwa and the incarcerated Imran Khan as witnesses in his case.
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