The promotion to Field Marshal of Pakistan’s Army Chief, General sayed Asim Munir, which has come to the fore immediately has seen a raging disagreement work wit history of Pakistan’s Army as well as PTI and even further out of it.
Issued on May 20, 2025, Munir, newly promoted, is the only the second person in Pakistan to become a five-star general, the first being Ayub Khan in 1959. The government lauded Munir’s role in the just concluded Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos which, according to it, had staved off Indian aggression and secured national security. But eyebrows have been raised by the timing and the politics that attended the promotion.
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The decision has caused a lot of resentment within PTI. Here are some of the key takeaways: The move has provoked both approval and criticism from party membersSome say such a move safely promotes unity in the party months after a time of high military-North Korea tensions but others say it further cements the military’s grip over the political system. But critics within PTI say the establishment is using military victories to amass power and influence over civilian institutions, reigniting memories of previous standoffs between Imran Khan’s administration and the security forces.
Social media has exploded with the debate raging in it, with many mocking him as a “failed marshal”, emphasising the military’s debacles in operation sindoor. It seems that public opinion is divided while desiring the military to not become more politicized.
The PTI’s internal friction over sayed Asim Munir’s promotion echoes broader national concerns about the power balance in Pakistan’s democracy. As Pakistan’s political terrain changes, the rise of General Munir, potentially, could be a defining moment in the civil-military power struggle that has been a feature of the debate that has governed where Pakistan goes from here.
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