Power grab: On Pakistan’s General Asim Munir.
General Munir’s indirect coup in Pakistan could backfire on him.
The 27th amendment to Pakistan’s Constitution, passed on November 13, formalises what has long been an open secret — that the military establishment pulls the strings behind a facade of democracy. Gen. Asim Munir, the army chief, has been steadily consolidating power, and the Shehbaz Sharif coalition government operates with his blessings. In May, after a brief conflict with India, the government elevated Gen. Munir to the rank of Field Marshal — the second five-star General after Ayub Khan. The amendment goes further, restructuring the military command and the judiciary. It rewrites Article 243 of Pakistan’s Constitution, introducing a post — Chief of Defence Forces, who will exercise authority over the Army, Navy and Air Force; the army chief will also serve as the Chief of Defence Forces. It also creates the post of Commander of the National Strategic Command, to oversee nuclear and strategic assets. The commander will be appointed by the Prime Minister on the Army chief’s recommendation. Most strikingly, the amendment offers life-long immunity from criminal proceedings to any officer elevated to a five-star rank — currently, Gen. Munir — as well as the President. Five-star officers will remain in uniform for life and can be removed only through an impeachment-like process under Article 47.
In effect, Gen. Munir will be the new centralised power centre in the establishment. The amendment also strips the Supreme Court of its authority to interpret the Constitution, establishing a new constitutional court whose judges will be appointed by the government. Several senior judges have resigned in protest. Democracy has hardly been Pakistan’s strong point. Yet, civil society and segments of the political class have, at critical moments, resisted powerful generals, reclaiming limited democratic space. Today, however, the ruling elite seem more willing than ever to play second fiddle to the generals. The only mainstream politician challenging Gen. Munir is Imran Khan, in prison for more than two years. With a weakened government and an opposition leadership behind bars, Gen. Munir is expanding his authority with the full comfort of constitutional protection. But the story of the rise of Pakistan’s military strongmen typically ends with their eventual downfall. His power grab comes at a time when the country is fighting an insurgency in the tribal areas. Relations with India and Afghanistan are at a low. Imran Khan’s PTI continues to challenge the ‘hybrid’ civil-military rule from the streets. And the economy is in chronic distress. Gen. Munir’s response to these challenges was to stage an indirect coup using supine politicians. It could backfire sooner rather than later.