India has criticized Pakistan on the international stage for granting sweeping powers to its Defence Chief, Asim Munir, urging Islamabad to “introspect” on the role of its armed forces in constitutional matters. Speaking at the United Nations, Parvathaneni Harish, India’s representative, said the Shehbaz Sharif-led government allowed the military to “engineer a constitutional coup” through the recently passed 27th Amendment, which provides “lifetime immunity to its Chief of Defence Forces.”
“It could start by asking itself how it has allowed its armed forces to engineer a constitutional coup through the 27th Amendment and give lifetime immunity to its Chief of Defence Forces,” Harish said. He added that Pakistan is “well advised to introspect about the rule of law” during his address at the UN Security Council’s open debate.
Pakistan Promotes Asim Munir
The 27th Amendment to the Pakistan Constitution, passed in November 2025, effectively established the supremacy of the military. In December, the Shehbaz Sharif government formally appointed Field Marshal Asim Munir as Pakistan’s first-ever Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), a newly created and highly powerful military post.
The appointment puts Munir in charge of all three services—the Army, Navy, and Air Force—for a term of five years. The CDF role consolidates authority over the military while also granting oversight of the National Strategic Command, which controls the country’s nuclear arsenal and missile systems, making Munir the single most powerful military figure in Pakistan.
The new position also provides Munir with legal protections equivalent to those of the president, including lifelong immunity from prosecution. This legal cover extends to the Air Force and Navy chiefs as well. The amendments further limit government oversight of the military, consolidating power firmly in the hands of the armed forces. (Agencies)
