Munir Becomes Pakistan’s Most Powerful Military Chief, Controlling All Forces And Nuclear Command.
Army chief elevated to supreme commander via controversial constitutional overhaul.
Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir formally took charge as Pakistan’s inaugural Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) on Thursday, November 27, 2025, instantly becoming the most powerful figure in the nation’s history. The newly created post places him in direct operational command of the Pakistan Army, Navy, and Air Force while granting him unprecedented oversight of the country’s nuclear arsenal for a secure five-year term extending until November 2030, far outlasting the tenure of the current civilian government.
The dramatic elevation stems from the controversial 27th Constitutional Amendment, hurriedly passed last month by a parliament widely seen as compliant with military wishes. The amendment abolished the long-standing position of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee — a largely ceremonial tri-service role held until today by General Sahir Shamshad Mirza — and transferred supreme command of the armed forces from the president and federal cabinet directly to the CDF, effectively placing Munir above the chiefs of the navy and air force.
Beyond battlefield authority, the new legislation empowers Munir to recommend the appointment of the Vice Chief of Army Staff and play a decisive role in selecting the commander of the National Strategic Command that controls Pakistan’s nuclear weapons. In a further consolidation of power, he has been granted lifelong immunity from criminal prosecution — protection previously extended only to the president — with similar safeguards now covering the air force and navy chiefs.
Originally set to retire this very week after completing his extended three-year term as army chief, Munir has seen his service clock completely reset. Earlier legislation first stretched the army chief’s tenure to five years and now locks him into the CDF role until 2030, with legal provisions suggesting reappointment would face minimal opposition from future civilian leaderships.
Defence analysts describe the restructuring as the Pakistan military’s most audacious power grab since General Pervez Musharraf’s 1999 coup, achieved this time through constitutional engineering rather than tanks on the streets. With the army now structurally insulated from civilian oversight and its leader elevated to near-presidential status, observers warn that democratic institutions have been further marginalised in a nuclear-armed nation of 240 million people.
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