Asim Munir becomes 'dictator' of Pakistan armed forces, can fire any personnel | GRAVITAS
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Asim Munir becomes 'dictator' of Pakistan armed forces, can fire any personnel | GRAVITAS")
Pakistan's Chief of Defence Forces, Asim Munir
In June 2019, he was sacked as ISI chief barely eight months into his tenure by the then PM Imran Khan. But his fortunes turned after Khan was ousted as PM in 2022. In November that year, Munir was appointed as the Army Chief for a period of three years.
With growing questions over the legitimacy of Pakistan's hybrid regime, Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir has now moved to crush any possible challenge from within the military. Despite protests from the opposition, Pakistan's National Assembly cleared a bill which gives him powers akin to a dictator.
Even as Pakistan has an existing National Security Advisor, the new Defence Forces of Pakistan Bill makes Munir the principal military advisor to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on national security as well as defence.
He will have complete operational command and control of the armed forces. In an unprecedented power grab, Munir can now retire, discharge or retain any personnel from the Army, Navy or Air Force without any due process.
He will also have authority over the newly established Defence Forces Headquarters. While Pakistan's elected government has virtually taken a backseat in the last few years, Munir has emerged as the diplomatic and military face of Pakistan on the global stage.
For instance, he has taken the lead in the negotiations between Iran and the U.S. He also entered U.S. President Donald Trump's good books, who described him as his "favourite field marshal."
However, Munir's rise to power was anything but smooth.
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In June 2019, he was sacked as ISI chief barely eight months into his tenure by the then PM Imran Khan. But his fortunes turned after Khan was ousted as PM in 2022. In November that year, Munir was appointed as the Army Chief for a period of three years.
In 2024, the Pakistan government amended its laws to increase the tenure of all three services chiefs to five years.In May 2025, he was promoted as the Field Marshal despite Pakistan suffering a humiliating setback in Operation Sindoor.
But this was not all. Munir's powers increased manifold in November last year when Pakistan's Parliament passed the 27th Constitutional Amendment. As a result, he became the country's first Chief of Defence Forces, getting control over the Air Force and Navy as well.
He also got lifetime immunity from criminal prosecution in his capacity as the Field Marshal.
Additionally, his original tenure was reset after his appointment as CDF. Thus, he will now retire in 2030 and will be eligible for a five-year extension, potentially extending his career till 2035.
Now, Munir's latest power grab also comes at a time when Imran Khan received a big relief from Pakistan's Supreme Court. While the court ordered his transfer from Lahore's Adiala Jail to Islamabad's Shifa International Hospital, the government filed a review petition.
Subsequently, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf revealed that the cricketer-turned-politician was taken for a brief check-up to the government-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and transported back to jail.
His sister, Uzma Khan, alleged that he was being tortured in jail by isolating him from family members and other prisoners and denying him access to newspapers and television.
At the same time, she confirmed that his eyes are okay.
Meanwhile, PTI has decided to file a contempt of court petition over the government's failure to implement the SC order. Ironically, while Munir has been focused on curbing political dissent, the Pak Army has been found wanting in its core domain, with the security worsening from Balochistan to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
However, with Munir's increasing control over all facets of life, it increasingly appears that Pakistan remains a parliamentary democracy only on paper.