‘Lifetime immunity for Asim Munir haraam’: Pakistan’s senior Islamic scholar puts Sharif in a spot

Cracks in the political landscape of Pakistan started to emerge again as a senior Islamic scholar of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has questioned the lifetime legal immunity to Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir under the 27th Constitutional Amendment. According to a report by CNN-News18, Mufti Taqi Usmani of JUI-F has been questioning the moral and religious basis of granting such immunity, describing it as “haram”.

He insisted that granting such a provision to anyone, including Asim Munir, is an un-Islamic move. On December 27, Munir took charge as Pakistan’s first Chief of Defence Forces, or CDF, a post created by the controversial 27th Amendment to the 1973 Constitution. What makes the amendment controversial is the fact that it provides explicit constitutional immunity for Munir.

The Pakistan Field Marshal automatically has lifelong protection from criminal prosecution or civil proceedings for acts performed in office, unless Parliament itself first strips that immunity. However, not everyone in the Pakistani ruling establishment has been happy with such a perk for the Army chief.

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Cracks within the coalition

There are still partners in the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) who are reportedly not in favour of the sweeping immunity given to Munir under the controversial 27th Amendment. As per the report, Usmani told his supporters that no ruler, general or caliph is above accountability, as per the Quran and Sunnah. He said such protection for rulers or military chiefs is forbidden in Islam.

It is pertinent to note that PDM was a coalition of major political parties in Pakistan, which was formed in 2020 to challenge then–Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government, accusing it of poor governance and economic mismanagement. The alliance was led by the current Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and included Bilawal Bhutto of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the JUI-F.

However, JUI-F exited the PDM in 2024 and announced a protest movement, alleging that the elections had been “rigged." Sources close to the JUI-F told CNN-News18 that the party feels it was used for street power and religious legitimacy, but it was ultimately denied actual decision-making authority.

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The party went on to accuse the Shehbaz Sharif government of violating the principles of the Quran by granting lifetime immunity to Munir. Meanwhile, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman also views the civilian government as a facade. In the past, he has claimed that the real power is concentrated in the hands of the Army Chief, a source told CNN-News18. The tussle reflected a major crack between the Pakistani ruling establishment and the religious infrastructure that fueled this establishment for decades.