INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Pakistan has picked Lieutenant-General Muhammad Asim Malik as the new director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), its top spy
agency, Reuters reported citing a security source and a local TV channel, the first change in the key post since 2021.The Pakistani
military’s public relations department did not immediately respond to a request for comment, Reuters reported.The reported move comes as
the political role of the agency faces intense scrutiny
One former ISI chief has been arrested for supporting the political cause of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, who, in turn, alleges
that the agency, under current chief Naveed Anjum, is being used against him.Several senior judges have also alleged, in a letter to the
chief justice that was published in local media, that ISI agents were applying pressure on them to decide cases against Khan.The source with
knowledge of the move told Reuters that Malik, currently serving as the army’s Adjudicate General and a graduate of Fort Leavenworth in
the United States, would take over on Sept
30 as the chief of the ISI.Local television channel Geo News also reported the same.The post of ISI director general, usually a serving
military officer, is one of the most powerful positions in Pakistan, at the intersection of domestic politics, the military and foreign
relations.While the ISI chief technically reports to the prime minister, he is controlled by Pakistan’s army chief.A standoff between Khan
and the army over the appointment of the ISI chief in 2021 is believed to have led to a falling out with top generals, which was followed by
his ouster from the premiership months later.Pakistan’s army, which denies pressurising judges or any role in politics, ruled Pakistan for
more than three decades from 1958 and continues to exercise control over key areas of governance in the country.The post Pakistan picks new
chief of powerful spy agency ISI first appeared on Ariana News.
