Asim Munir

Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir is going to get more powers. After Operation Sindoor, Pakistan is now busy strengthening its military strength. Due to this, the country is preparing to bring a constitutional amendment, under which a new post of Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) will be created and it will be ensured that the post of Field Marshal and its associated facilities remain lifelong.

This new post is being created in Pakistan under the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill introduced in the Parliament, which will be appointed by the Prime Minister. This top officer will also serve as the Army Chief. This means that Munir will automatically become CDF by the end of this month.

What powers did you get?

The CDF post will further strengthen Munir’s hold over the military, giving him control over appointments, promotions and military operations. Along with this, he will also have the right to appoint the chief of Pakistan’s nuclear forces. According to the new bill, Munir is likely to take over this all-powerful post after November 27, when the tenure of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee ends.

Another amendment, which will directly benefit Munir, will provide in the Constitution that the rank of Field Marshal and the privileges associated with it shall be for life. That means he will remain on this honor and position throughout his life.

The Bill also states that the Army Chief, who will also be the Chief of the Defense Forces, will appoint the head of the National Strategic Command in consultation with the Prime Minister. The head of the National Strategic Command will be from the Pakistani Army. The government will be able to promote armed forces officers to higher military posts like Field Marshal, Marshal of the Air Force and Admiral of the Fleet.

Steps taken after Operation Sindoor

According to local media reports, this step is said to be inspired by the lessons learned from the 4-day conflict between India and Pakistan in May and the changing nature of modern warfare. In response to the Pahalgam terror attack on 22 April, India launched Operation Sindoor on 7 May, which was aimed at curbing terrorism. After these attacks, there were clashes between the two countries for 4 days, which ended with an agreement to stop military action on 10 May.

Last month, Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh had said that at least a dozen of Pakistan’s military aircraft, including American-origin F-16 jets, were destroyed or damaged in the Indian attacks. India says that in May, when the Indian Army carried out heavy attacks on various military bases of Pakistan, Pakistan requested for a ceasefire.

Soon after the conflict, the Pakistan government promoted Army Chief General Asim Munir to the rank of Field Marshal, making him the second top military officer to hold this position in the country’s history.