Pakistan's Army Lost The Battle, Asim Munir Won The Power Game: Why India Must Watch Closely | Opinion

Speaking at the Sri Ram College of Commerce on September 5, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: "If Pakistan does any nefarious act, India's forces will enter their home and strike". Modi's reference was clearly to the actions of the Indian Defence Forces in the Surgical Strikes, the Balakot Aerial action and Operation Sindoor, which was conducted after the heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam in April 2025.

Initially, Pakistan used its air force to respond against the Indian Air Force but, facing reverses, after four days, requested India for a ceasefire. India accepted a cessation of activities. There is no doubt that India got the better of Pakistan, but its army chief, General Asim Munir, built a false narrative to delude his nation that the country's defence forces had succeeded in halting the Indian action.

So successful was his deceit in building this public image that even though no army action was involved during the military operations, he was rewarded by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif by upgrading his rank to Field Marshal. The air force chief got nothing.

Munir continued to project himself as a larger-than-life figure after Operation Sindoor. He got a great boost when President Donald Trump invited him to the White House for a luncheon meeting in June 2025. Munir, along with Shehbaz Sharif, fed Trump's ego that he was instrumental in bringing about a ceasefire between India and Pakistan.

In fact, Pakistan went to the extent of formally nominating Trump, through Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, for the Nobel Peace Prize. This resulted in Trump calling Munir his favourite Field Marshal. While traditionally Pakistan army chiefs are its most important and powerful persons–more than elected Prime Ministers–Munir exponentially expanded the gap in power between Shehbaz Sharif and himself.

Munir started to intrude in all aspects of Pakistan's national life. Most importantly, he also decided that he should constitutionally and legally formally consolidate the army chief's position in the country's military.

Historically, it is the Pakistan Army which considers itself the actual ruler of the country. It treats the Navy and Air Force merely as technical services, even though in theory their chiefs enjoyed equal status with the army chief. Now that has ended. The last nail in the coffin of the Navy and Air Force was driven by Pakistan's parliament adopting the Defence Forces of Pakistan Act, 2026 on August 20.

It also amended the National Command Authority, 2010. These were the concluding legislative actions of a process which began through the 27th Constitutional Amendment of the Pakistani constitution in November 2025. Now, Munir has total control over the entire military establishment, and the navy and air force chiefs have become virtually his subordinates.

The 27th amendment established the position of the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), and Sharif appointed Munir to that position. The new Act states that the post of CDF would also be concurrently held by the army chief. It also states that the CDF will be in control of all components of the Defence Forces. This means that he will also have operational control over the Pakistan Navy and Air Force.

Besides, he will have complete administrative control of all three services. This means that the elected government will have no role to play at all in the personnel management of the defence services. Thus, even the fig leaf of the formality of approving proposals of the army chief, which was there earlier, has gone. This is nothing but the army's power getting further entrenched in Pakistan, and now it is through the legal process.

This has, in effect, reduced the already weak position of the Pakistani Defence Minister to zero. Through the amendment of the National Command Authority Act, the CDF will now be the vice-chairman of the Authority which deals with Pakistan's nuclear weapons, including their use in times of war. Importantly, the CDF will be appointing the army general who will be in charge of keeping Pakistan's nuclear weapons secure.

What do these changes mean for India? It was always well known that even when Pakistan was under elected governments, its security and major foreign policy were in the hands of the army generals. Now, with the formal increase in the power of the CDF, his influence and power will extend to all areas of Pakistan's national life.

He will virtually have no checks on him. This is a serious matter for India because it will really be pointless for an Indian prime minister to interact with his counterpart. At this time, such a possibility of interaction is not there because of India's correct position that it will not resume a dialogue process with Pakistan unless it gives up terrorism.

Now Munir has become so powerful that it will be impossible for any Prime Minister to even suggest to him that the current confrontationist approach to India is proving disastrous for Pakistan. Munir is himself completely wedded to the two-nation theory, which is the basis for the foundation of Pakistan.

Munir's animosity towards India is great. It is not likely to end at any time. Apart from ideological reasons, it is also because he has received praise from many international quarters for his role in mediating between Iran and the US. That has not succeeded despite the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed in June between Iran and the US.

Nevertheless, it boosted Munir's self-esteem because he had acted as Pakistan's main diplomat during the mediation process. This will only result in further hardening his already irrational policy towards India.

Munir's all-powerful position in Pakistan now also means that, in Pakistan, true democracy has become a distant dream, and its judges will also pay heed to what he wants. This means that former Prime Minister Imran Khan will continue to remain in jail. The only thorns in Munir's side are his continuing problems with Afghanistan and his inability to control the TTP and the Baloch militants.

(Note: The author is a former Indian diplomat. Views are personal.)