New Delhi: Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik has been appointed as Pakistan’s new National Security Adviser (NSA) while concurrently serving as the Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), marking the first time a serving ISI chief holds both roles simultaneously.The appointment comes days after the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir, which killed 26 people and has escalated India-Pakistan tensions, with threats of an Indian military action on the horizon.The NSA post in Pakistan had been vacant since April 2022. Malik’s dual appointment is unprecedented and signals a consolidation of power by the Pakistan Army, sidelining civilian oversight at a time of heightened India-Pakistan tensions.The NSA, previously a civilian advisor reporting to the Prime Minister, will now follow the military chain of command and report directly to Army Chief General Asim Munir.The move could be seen as an attempt by Munir to revive or control backchannel talks with India, ensuring there is no gap between Pakistan’s political and military messaging during this critical period. Additionally, combining the two roles can coordinate intelligence operations and national security policymaking, ensuring unified messaging and rapid response in crisis situations.In the past, Pakistan NSAs have met their Indian counterparts in third countries. Retired Lt Gen Nasser Khan Janjua held multiple meetings with Ajit Doval in Bangkok in 2016. Doval is also believed to have held several rounds of dialogue with Moeed Yusuf, NSA to PM Imran Khan in late 2020 and early 2021.Move signals that Pakistan’s military is fully in control of national security policyFor India, the appointment clarifies that any substantive engagement, whether backchannel talks or crisis management, will have to be with Pakistan’s military, not its civilian government. It also signals to the international community that Pakistan’s military is fully in control of national security policy, which could complicate diplomatic efforts.Born into a military family in Punjab, Malik is the son of retired Lt Gen Ghulam Muhammad Malik who retired as a Corps Commander in 1995. He won the Sword of Honour at the Pakistan Military Academy and has attended courses at the US Army’s Fort Leavenworth, Royal College of Defence Studies in the UK and holds a PhD in US-Pakistan relations from the National Defence University, Islamabad.He was commissioned into the 12th Baloch Regiment, his father’s unit, in 1989. He has commanded divisions in Balochistan and Waziristan, both areas which face severe internal security threats. Like his father, he also served as the Adjutant General at GHQ where he oversaw legal and disciplinary affairs, most notably during the crackdown on Imran Khan’s supporters in 2023. He was appointed DG ISI in October 2024, replacing Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum.In sum, Malik’s appointment as NSA is a clear signal of military dominance in Pakistan’s policy vis-à-vis India, at a time of acute crisis and uncertainty in bilateral relations.