Pakistan’s army chief gains more powers, legal immunity for life

Pakistan’s Parliament is poised to grant lifelong immunity to Field Marshal Asim Munir in a move that would further entrench the military’s grip on power in the nuclear-armed nation. 

The Lower House of Parliament approved a constitutional amendment Bill expanding Field Marshal Munir’s control over the military branches.

It also grants the prime minister authority to appoint or remove the judges of the top court, and establishes a new Federal Constitutional Court, steps seen as significantly curtailing the powers of the judiciary. 

Field Marshal Munir is widely seen as the nation’s most powerful leader, and Pakistan’s army wields the final word on critical matters from foreign policy to internal politics and the economy.

The military’s influence has grown in recent years, especially after a brief conflict with India in May that led to Field Marshal Munir’s promotion from four-star general to the nation’s second-ever field marshal.

The changes are likely to erode the civilian authority in the South Asian country ruled by the military for about half of the time since its independence in 1947, the opposition parties and analysts said. 

“The ruling party’s survival is on (the) military’s support and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ceded more space to the military than any other leader,” said Mr Hassan Askari Rizvi, a Lahore-based political analyst.

Mr Sharif “has been showing off that he has the military’s support”.

The premier said the move would strengthen national unity, amid protests by the opposition parties led by jailed former premier Imran Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf, which vowed to reverse the changes when in power.

The legislation will be put up in the Upper House for approval on Nov 13 before it becomes a law.

Field Marshal Munir has spearheaded efforts to improve Pakistan’s relations with the US, and President Donald Trump recently called him his “favourite Field Marshal.” 

Pakistani leaders have repeatedly praised Mr Trump for his role during the conflict with India in May, crediting him with brokering a ceasefire between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

India has consistently denied the US helped secure the truce, while Islamabad nominated Mr Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize. 

Pakistan’s security relations with the US have wavered from periods of close cooperation to chilly ties. The US over multiple administrations, meanwhile, has cultivated India as a regional partner and a bulwark against a more assertive China.

The move to expand Field Marshal Munir’s power comes as regional tensions rise following deadly explosions in the capitals of India and Pakistan within 24 hours of each other that killed at least 20 people and injured many more.

The constitutional amendment “could further strengthen the power of the armed forces, which already arguably enjoy more power than during any other period of non-military rule,” Mr Michael Kugelman, a non-resident senior fellow at Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, said before the Bill was passed.

The nation’s constitutional history has seen numerous amendments, each shifting the balance of power.

The changes are part of longstanding efforts for balanced civil-military relations, said Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar this week. BLOOMBERG