Overview

• Lt. Gen. Mohammad Asim Malik has been appointed Pakistan's National Security Advisor, adding to his role as ISI chief, centralizing control over security strategy.
• The appointment comes as Pakistan remains on high alert following the April 22 Pahalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians.
• Pakistan's government has accused India of 'empty rhetoric' and called for a neutral investigation, while warning of imminent military action by India.
• India has downgraded diplomatic ties, closed its airspace to Pakistani airlines, and suspended key agreements, prompting reciprocal measures by Pakistan.
• The Resistance Front, a proxy linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, initially claimed responsibility for the attack but later retracted, raising questions about possible pressure from Pakistan's defense establishment.