Editorial: Asim Munir—making of a dictator

With the Defence Forces of Pakistan Act, 2026 taking effect, along with amendments to the National Command Authority Act, 2010, Pakistan is now virtually moving towards military dictatorship

Pakistan’s chief of defence forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir, is a man in a hurry. The speed at which he has been bestowing additional powers upon himself shows that he has no time to waste. The pliable civilian government has no intention to displease him. Moving at an unusual speed, Pakistan’s national assembly recently approved the Defence Forces of Pakistan Act, 2026, along with amendments to the National Command Authority Act, 2010, giving the army chief all the powers he wants and more. No one dares to keep Munir waiting. With unbridled powers centralised into a single command structure, Pakistan is now virtually moving towards military dictatorship behind the garb of civilian democracy. Though the country had long spells of military dictatorships in the past, the current template is designed to create an illusion of an elected civilian government being in control even while making the Field Marshal an all-powerful entity. The new law, cleared by the national assembly and signed by the President in a matter of minutes, is in sync with the constitutional changes introduced in 2025 that had created the post of the Chief of Defence Forces. Munir now has sweeping authority over the country’s armed forces, including the power to retire, discharge or retain personnel and to alter prescribed retirement limits under the new Act. By the way, he is permanently immune from prosecution. For India, the most significant aspect is the concentration of military authority in one office.

Munir can advise his prime minister on national security policy and also oversee the execution of military decisions across the armed forces. This gives the military leadership a central role in national security decision-making. The combination of political influence and operational command gives the CDF both an advisory and executive role during peacetime and crisis situations. Going by the swiftness with which he has been grabbing powers, it is safe to assume that Munir might declare himself as the country’s President before his current tenure as the CDF ends in 2030. The new legislation has already cemented his authority at the very top of Pakistan’s power structure. Since last year, he has been steadily asserting his power not just in defence roles. In May 2025, in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, the Shehbaz Sharif government elevated Munir to the top rank of field marshal, the highest rank attainable in the Pakistani army. Later, in November, the Pakistan parliament passed the 27th constitutional amendment, giving him a new set of powers and lifetime immunity from arrest. This was a clear sign that the balance had started shifting in the military’s favour. The new law coincided with Munir’s growing influence beyond Pakistan’s military establishment. His relationship with US President Donald Trump grew unusually close after the Operation Sindoor conflict, including a private lunch at the White House and public expressions of mutual praise.

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