Asim Munir's military coup in Pakistan, without the military
Army chief Asim Munir would now take overall command of the military - including air and naval forces - with the new position of Chief of Defence Forces.
After completion of his term, he would retain his rank and have legal immunity for life.
The Constitutional Amendment seeks to restructure the military hierarchy under Munir and eliminate rival positions.
It reportedly also grants five-star generals like himself immunity from all kinds of legal proceedings, according to Pakistani analysts.
Though Pakistan has seen coups and military dictators, the coup being staged by army chief Asim Munir is unprecedented.
Through the 27th Constitutional Amendment, Munir is getting sweeping powers. The "constitutional coup" would dismantle Pakistan's remaining democratic safeguards and permanently alter its
civil-military balance.
Since Gen Asim Munir took over as Pakistan’s army chief more than two years ago, he has been accused of quietly consolidating greater power without even having to topple the country’s civilian rulers.
Initially he kept himself largely out of the limelight but he established an iron grip over the army’s ranks.
He also bent government policy and even the Supreme Court to his will.
In May 2025 as arch-enemies Pakistan and India have come closer to all-out war than they have in decades, all eyes have been on Munir.
After India launched its most intensive airstrikes on Pakistan since the 1971 war in the early hours May 7th hitting nine targets and killing 31 people; Pakistan found itself left as an injured animal.
India’s strikes to start with were a direct retaliation for an attack in Indian-administered Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22 in which Pak militants killed 25 Hindu tourists and a tour guide.
Pakistan’s military was swiftly granted complete authorisation by the Shehbaz Sharif government.
Munir's power grab is significant for New Delhi because it creates a dangerous asymmetry with India, where the civilian leadership has the operational control of the defence forces.
Pakistan has been scarred by three military coups since its formation, by
Generals Ayub Khan (1958),
Zia-ul-Haq (1977) and
Pervez Musharraf (1999).
But this fourth "coup", being staged by Asim Munir, might be the boldest consolidation of power by any military leader in Pakistan—something which both Zia and Musharraf couldn't pull off.
Making things worse for so-called Democracy in Pakistan; in this "constitutional coup d'etat", Munir has an accomplice aiding him in Pakistan's "reform" rather enthusiastically and slavishly is Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The bill, passed on Monday by the Senate in about three hours, unusually fast for a constitutional change, after the opposition boycotted the debate, will now go before the lower house before it can become law.
Army chief Asim Munir, described by U.S. President Donald Trump as his "favourite Field Marshal", would take overall command of the military - including air and naval forces - with the new position of Chief of Defence Forces under the proposed amendment. After completion of his term, he would retain his rank and have legal immunity for life.
While the military has long wielded extensive power, the reforms would give it greater constitutional backing that would not be easily reversed.
Hitherto the army chief was the equal of the air force and navy chiefs, with a chairman of the joint chiefs sitting above him, a post that would be eliminated.
Constitutional cases would no longer be heard by the Supreme Court but by a new Federal Constitutional Court, with judges appointed by the government. In recent years, the Supreme Court has, at times, blocked government policies and ousted prime ministers.
Critics say handpicked judges would now hear the most politically sensitive cases impacting the government, with the Supreme Court dealing with civil and criminal matters.
Under the reforms, President Asif Zardari would also get immunity for life from prosecution.
"All these amendments are for governance, and the federal government's coordination with the provinces, and to strengthen defence capability after winning a war," Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said, referring to clashes with India in May.
The government said it was confident it had the numbers in parliament to approve the constitutional changes, which were unusually introduced to the Senate over the weekend. A two-thirds majority is required in the two houses that make up the parliament, the Senate and National Assembly.
ends
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