It is a beautiful coincidence that two key positions in the Pakistan Armed Forces are held by individuals with the same name. General Asim Munir is the Chief of Army Staff, while Lieutenant General Asim Malik has assumed charge as the Director General of ISI. The name “Asim” means guardian or protector. Viewed this way, both individuals can be seen as guardians of our beloved country’s borders. Lieutenant General Asim Malik took charge of Pakistan’s most sensitive position on September 30, 2024. It is also interesting to note that his father, G.M. Malik, was also a Lieutenant General and Corps Commander.
Lieutenant General Asim Malik is the 31st DG of the institution. In the past, this position has been held by majors and colonels, and occasionally by major generals (for instance, Major General Ghulam Jilani Khan). However, for the past 45 years, lieutenant generals have been appointed to this role. Over the last few years, there have been unnecessary debates about those who held this position, even though it is so delicate that the person serving in it must work quietly for the country and the nation.
Should this be labeled as unfortunate? It seems that for some reason, this has not happened. Several past office holders have been controversially discussed. People are rarely aware of who holds sensitive positions in our neighboring countries. However, those in the know understand that the head of Indian intelligence (RAW) is Ravi Sinha, the head of the Afghan intelligence agency is Mazhar ul Haq Wathiq, the head of the Iranian agency is Ismail Khatib, and the head of the Chinese intelligence agency is Shen Wenqing.
In these countries, media personnel generally remain detached from these individuals. In our case, however, the situation is reversed. Perhaps a major reason for this is that some of our previous office holders were, for various reasons, found to be involved in political matters. It is due to this interference that a retired officer is currently undergoing scrutiny under the army for his alleged “misdeeds.”
The state of Pakistan is facing many old and new challenges and threats. Not only is our eternal enemy, India, fomenting chaos and unrest in Pakistan, but the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan are also a concern. Currently, the major challenges and threats facing Pakistan can be listed as follows: (1) Eradication of terrorism and terrorists throughout the country, (2) Dealing wisely with rebellious and disruptive elements in Balochistan, (3) Containing the murderous acts of TTP in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, (4) As an immediate challenge, the announcement of a PTI protest in Islamabad’s D-Chowk on October 4, (5) Ensuring the security and success of the SCO Summit in Islamabad on October 15, as the Federal Minister for Information has hinted that a political party intends to sabotage it. The success of the “Shanghai Cooperation Organization” conference is extremely valuable and necessary for Pakistan. Pakistan cannot afford any disruptions in this regard.
Thus, we can say that Pakistan has inherited grave old and new issues, which are, in fact, challenges. Recently, terrorists committed a heinous act in Swat, presenting a significant challenge. In the third week of last month, while a dozen foreign diplomats and attaches stationed in Pakistan were visiting Malam Jabba for recreation, terrorists suddenly bombed the police van that was leading the diplomats’ convoy.
In this cowardly and terrorist attack, one officer was martyred, and four were injured. However, thank God, all the diplomats remained safe. We can imagine what kind of reactions would arise worldwide if any of the diplomats from Indonesia, Portugal, Kazakhstan, Bosnia, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, Iran, Russia, and Tajikistan had been harmed, God forbid.
Malam Jabba is located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is surprising that the Chief Minister of this province has expressed the least concern regarding this unusual incident. However, his advisors and ministers stated that only the local police and intelligence agencies were aware of the diplomats’ visit to Malam Jabba, and they were not taken into confidence.
This statement seems to indicate a lack of accountability among senior provincial officials in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Does this behavior not highlight a lack of coordination between the KP government and our institutions? KP government ministers and advisors have been heard saying that they were not informed about the foreign diplomats’ visit. If that is the case, then how did the attackers know about it? As usual, Indian media seized this incident to bombard questions regarding the security and intelligence agencies of Pakistan. India seems to seize every opportunity to instigate against Pakistan.
Reports indicate that the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, met with all the diplomats who witnessed the incident at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to express regret. The incident in Swat once again underscores that our homeland faces numerous heavy and serious issues.
Recently, Indian Home Minister Amit Shah and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh made inflammatory statements against Pakistan. It is crucial to effectively address the harmful impact of such remarks. However, the Swat incident signals a new and dangerous warning. Former Home Secretary Akhtar Shah remarked that when terrorism erupted in Swat several years ago, it also began with incidents like this. We not only hope but the entire nation expects that our security agencies will fight for the protection and security of the nation and its people. The prayers of the nation are with them.