With the approval of Pakistan’s 27th Constitutional Amendment, Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir Ahmed Shah has been granted expanded powers and lifelong legal immunity. Asim Munir is due to retire as Army Chief on November 28th, but will immediately thereafter be appointed Chief of Defence Forces of Pakistan. This amendment, passed amid protest from opposition parties in the Pakistani Parliament, also limits the independence of the Supreme Court.
Pakistan’s opposition politicians, judges, and independent experts condemned the move, calling it a clear sign of democratic erosion and a slide toward dictatorship in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Army Chief, Syed Asim Munir, a staunch opponent of India, was called his “favorite Field Marshal” by US President Donald Trump. Asim Munir will be the first Army Chief to become head of Pakistan Defense Forces. This is a new position that places him above the chiefs of the Navy and Air Force.
No case will ever be filed:
Under the new constitutional amendment, Field Marshals and the President of Pakistan will be granted lifelong immunity from any legal prosecution. In Pakistan, the President is the symbolic head of state. This means that under these reforms, President Asif Zardari will also get lifelong immunity from prosecution.
How the bill was passed in Parliament:
Demonstrating remarkable speed the Constitution Amendment Bill was passed by the upper house of Parliament on Monday in just three hours. It was also passed in the lower house on Wednesday. These constitutional changes will expand the role of Pakistan’s already powerful army chief. The opposition says this move will undermine democracy.
Also, a coup:
Historically prone to coups, in Pakistan this amendment is being seen as a coup without any fuss.
While this is the longest period of elected government in nuclear-armed Pakistan, the military has strengthened its grip on power in recent years. While the military has long wielded extensive power in Pakistan, these changes will give it more constitutional support that cannot be easily reversed. Until now, the army chief in Pakistan was equal to the Air Force and Navy chiefs, and above him was the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. This position will now be abolished.
Reduced powers of the Supreme Court:
Constitutional matters will now be heard not in the Supreme Court, but in a new Federal Constitutional Court, whose judges will be appointed by the government. In recent years, Pakistan’s Supreme Court has repeatedly blocked government policies and even removed Prime Ministers from office. Critics say that selected judges will now hear the most politically sensitive cases affecting the government, while the Supreme Court will hear civil and criminal cases.
Referring to the clashes ( operation sindoor) with India in May, Pakistan’s Information Minister, Ataullah Tarar,said, “All these amendments are aimed at governance, coordination between the federal government and the provinces, and strengthening defence capabilities after winning a war.”
Who is Asim Munir:
Asim Munir was born in 1968 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Originally a Punjabi, his family has roots in Jalandhar, Indian Punjab. The family migrated to Pakistan after the partition of India in 1947. Asim Munir became the Chief of the Pakistan Army on November 29, 2022. He is Pakistan’s 11th Chief of Army Staff.
Asim Munir’s influence on Pakistan’s ruling party can be gauged from the fact that in November 2024, his term was extended from three to five years, for which the government even amended the law within minutes. Furthermore, in May 2025, despite the Pakistan Army’s massive defeat in the conflict with the Indian Army, his military status was elevated to the rank of Field Marshal.
