&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Pakistan’s new military law gives Asim Munir sweeping powers; he can now hire, fire, retire forces")
Pakistan’s parliament has granted Army Chief Asim Munir sweeping powers and total control over all military operations, senior officers and personnel matters, including the authority to retire, discharge or retain personnel and even alter the prescribed retirement limits.
The parliament passed the new military laws on Thursday that bestow upon Munir full control over the defence services.
The new law establishes Defence Forces Headquarters (DFHQ), with Munir serving as the supreme commander of the three armed services.
Pakistan’s National Assembly on Thursday passed the Defence Forces of Pakistan Act, 2026, and amendments to the National Command Authority Act, 2010, amid an Opposition walkout.
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The Defence Forces of Pakistan Act 2026 formally places the country’s Army, Navy and Air Force under a single command structure headed by Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.
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The legislation aims to put the new military hierarchy created by the constitutional changes into a legal framework. The new structure places Munir at the top of Pakistan’s unified military command.
The draft says the CDF “shall exercise such powers and perform such functions as are necessary for multi-domain integration, operational cohesion, coordination and oversight of all matters which have joint, tri-services and strategic implications for the Armed Forces and national security of Pakistan”.
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According to the draft, the CDF can “retire, release, accept, or reject resignation of, or discharge from service, or retain in service, or relax age, or service limit of retirement” of personnel covered by the armed forces laws, subject to the exclusions specified in the legislation.
Moreover, the framework also allows the Pakistan government to assign additional responsibilities to the CDF.
“Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, the CDF may exercise such other powers and perform such other functions as the Federal Government may prescribe,” the draft states.
This provision gives government the scope to expand the CDF’s responsibilities beyond those specifically listed in the legislation.
It also provides for executive directions and changes to rules and regulations to ensure that the new command structure can operate effectively.
Munir now also Pak PM’s ‘principal military advisor’
The Defence Forces Headquarters would be under the CDF, who would serve as the Prime Minister’s “principal military adviser” on national security, defence and matters concerning the armed forces.
He would also be “responsible” to the federal government for matters involving command and control. The President is given a significant role in resolving difficulties or inconsistencies that may emerge while implementing the new framework.
New nuclear command structure
The restructuring is not limited to the conventional military command. The 27th Constitutional Amendment created the position of Commander of the National Strategic Command (CNSC), a four-star post responsible for the operational integration of Pakistan’s strategic forces.
Last month, Gen Syed Aamer Raza was promoted from lieutenant general and appointed as the first CNSC.
The Prime Minister’s Office called the amendments “a necessary process” following the 27th Constitutional Amendment. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif presented the legislation in the National Assembly, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was also present in the house.
The measures significantly expand the statutory role of the CDF, an office created only last year after the 27th Constitutional Amendment Act.
The massive concentration of these powers in the hands of the army chief is particularly significant for a country that has witnessed military rule for long.
