 "A military dictatorship in the making in Pakistan? What Army chief Asim Munir’s promotion to field marshal means")
Most often, promotions are given when you and your team have performed well. That doesn’t seem to be the case for Pakistan and its government. That’s because on Tuesday (May 20), a few days after India and the neighbouring country called for a ceasefire putting an end to the increased military action, Islamabad has promoted its army chief General Asim Munir to the rank of field marshal.
An official statement said that the decision to promote General Munir was taken at a Cabinet meet chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Munir’s promotion makes him the second officer in the country’s history to reach the rank. The last and only other Pakistani to hold the rank was General Ayub Khan, who elevated himself to the position in 1959, a year after he assumed the presidency following a military coup.
Doesn’t that say a lot?
From madrasa to field marshal
For Field Marshal Munir , the promotion marks a huge arc in his career. In fact, Munir is the country’s first madrasa-educated Pakistani chief of army staff. He comes from a family of “high-born” Syeds, who trace their ancestry directly to Prophet Mohammed, and who migrated to Pakistan in 1947.
It is also reported that he often speaks to Pakistan soldiers with an accent that is quite different from the one that most officials imbibe from military training. In fact, Munir often speaks a more theological language of war and its purposes, and speaks very often, in a break from tradition, in his native Punjabi.
For instance, six days before the Pahalgam terror attack in India — which resulted with Operation Sindoor — Munir had reaffirmed Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir, declaring it as a “jugular vein,” and called upon people of his country to tell stories to children so that they don’t forget they are “different from Hindus”.
He had said in his speech, “Our stance is absolutely clear, it (Kashmir) was our jugular vein, it will be our jugular vein. We will not forget it. We will not leave our Kashmiri brothers in their heroic struggle.
“Our forefathers believed that we were different from Hindus in every possible aspect of life. Our religion is different. Our customs are different. Our traditions are different. Our thoughts are different. Our ambitions are different… That was the foundation of the Two-Nation Theory. It was laid on the belief that we are two nations, not one.”
Promotion for Munir at an unlikely time
The Pakistan government’s decision to promote Munir to field marshal has raised many eyebrows. After all, the elevation comes just days after Islamabad’s Director General of Military Operations dialed his Indian counterpart on May 10 and it was decided that to halt all military action after four days of intense hostilities.
Notably, Pakistan has framed Munir’s promotion to field marshal as a recognition of his “exemplary courage and determination” in leading the Pakistan Army against India and for how he “coordinated the war strategy and efforts of the armed forces in a comprehensive manner”.
“The government of Pakistan has approved the promotion of General Syed Asim Munir (Nishan-i-Imtiaz Military) to the rank of field marshal for ensuring the security of the country and defeating the enemy based on the high strategy and courageous leadership during Marka-i-Haq and Operation Bunyanum Marsoos ,” the PMO statement said, according to Pakistani publication Dawn.
The reality, however, is starkly different. Satellite visuals show the country suffered huge damage to its air bases and terror locations. Moreover, its many attempts to rain down terror on India through Chinese and Turkish-made drones and missiles — such as the Yiha drones and the PL-15 missiles — were thwarted by the Indian military.
“The field marshal rank is usually conferred after a military victory. This may be the first time it has been awarded after a defeat — it seems intended to mask that defeat,” Tilak Devasher, a leading Pakistan watcher, told the Economic Times.
Experts and Pakistan watchers note that promoting Munir to field marshal, which is a ceremonial five-star rank and remains lifelong, is the Pakistani army’s ploy to garner support for it. Additionally, it also shows how subservient this government is to the military. As Major Manik M Jolly (retired) told India Today, “Promoting Munir to field marshal just proves how helpless and useless Pakistan’s government and civil administration are. He’s doubling down on his narrative of victory and by elevating his position, tightening his grip and control on Pakistan. Musharraf 2.0 loading.”
However, whatever be the intention, one thing is certain; Munir’s elevation to field marshal tightens his grip on Pakistan’s security architecture, sidelining potential rivals.
There are also those who believe that Munir’s promotion will shield him any internal challenge, including possible court martial. Also, it is unclear if the title exempts him from retirement age limits. Munir already received an extension to his term until 2027 in November 2023 to five years, from the usual three years for the role of army chief.
Eerie similarities to Ayub Khan
Munir’s promotion to field marshal makes him only second in the country after Field Marshal Ayub Khan. And many can’t help but point out to Khan’s takeover of the country following his own elevation.
In 1958, then-Pakistan President Iskander Mirza declared martial law and appointed General Ayub Khan as Chief Martial Law Administrator. Mirza believed that Ayub would remain a loyal subordinate while he continued to pull the strings from the presidency. Instead, Ayub moved fast.
He assumed the presidency himself, becoming Pakistan’s first military ruler. Notably, when Ayub took power in 1959, he first promoted himself to field marshal to cement his hold on power. Ayub then held on to power until 1969 under a military-backed setup that brought press censorship and a tightly controlled presidential system. His regime laid the groundwork for decades of military dominance in Pakistan.
It is left to be seen if Munir will follow in Ayub’s footsteps, taking direct control of the country. But as Moneycontrol writes in its report, “The elevation of Asim Munir to field marshal is not an honour, it’s a warning. A warning that Pakistan’s military has learned nothing from history, that it still believes anti-Hindu rhetoric and covert jihad can mask internal failures.”
With inputs from agencies
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
