Pakistan’s parliament is getting ready to give lifelong legal protectionto
Field Marshal Asim Munir — a move that could make the military’s control
over the country even stronger.
On Wednesday, the lower house of parliament approved a constitutional
amendment that increases Munir’s authority over all branches of the military. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said this decision would help strengthen national unity, according to the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan.
Munir is considered the most powerful person in Pakistan. The army already
has major influence over key issues like foreign policy, internal politics,
and the economy. This power has grown in recent years, especially after a
short conflict with India in May, which led to Munir’s promotion from
four-star general to the nation’s second-ever field marshal.
Experts say the new amendment could give the military even more power.
Michael Kugelman, a senior fellow at the Asia Pacific Foundation of
Canada, said before the bill passed that the change “could further
strengthen the armed forces, which already have more power now than
at any other time under civilian governments.”