Pakistan’s powerful army chief was on track to secure expanded powers and lifelong legal immunity on Wednesday as lawmakers moved closer to approving a constitutional amendment that gives him sweeping authority over all military branches and limits the independence of the country’s highest court.
Syed Asim Munir, the army chief whom President Trump called his “favorite field marshal,” is set to become Pakistan’s chief of defense forces by the end of the month, a new title positioning him over the navy and air force as well.
Under the new constitutional amendment, the field marshal and Pakistan’s president, the country’s symbolic head of state who also holds important powers over appointments and interim governments, would also be granted lifelong immunity from any legal prosecution.
As of Wednesday evening, an overwhelming majority of lawmakers from the two chambers of the Pakistani Parliament had voted in favor of the amendment granting Field Marshal Munir control over all branches of the military and lifelong legal immunity. President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan is expected to sign the bill for it to become part of the revised Constitution.
The 27th amendment to the Pakistani Constitution would further tilt the balance toward the military.
Besides the expanded powers enjoyed by Field Marshal Munir, a newly created court, whose judges will be nominated by the executive, would become the country’s most powerful. It would operate above the current Supreme Court, which has at times acted as a check on army chiefs and governmental leaders but will now be reduced to handling civilian and criminal cases. Under the amendment, high court judges would be forced to resign if they reject a transfer from one province to another decided by Pakistan’s political leadership.
Posted by John3262005
4 Comments
No way who coulda seen this coming
A court above the supreme Court?? What will it be called?? Omega court?
Anyway unless a revolution happens it’s game over for common Pakistani I guess.
I read somewhere he will get Legal immunity for life Lol. if true, it should lead to a revolt no one should be above the law especially not the military guys.
Hope they don’t try to terror attack India continuously to distract their people and get behind them
Asim Munir is **massively** popular in Pakistan right now, to a degree I don’t think arr neoliberal quite comprehends. The latest sabre-rattling episode with India was a godsend for the Pakistani army, and they are going to stoke those tensions as much as possible to keep the approval of the populace.
Look at the response to the recent bombing in Islamabad, [which was to immediately blame India.](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/12/asia-pacific/blasts-india-pakistan-tensions/)
> In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office in Islamabad accused India of backing terrorist attacks in Pakistan from Afghan territory and described Tuesday’s incident as one of the “worst examples of Indian state-sponsored terrorism in the region.” The statement offered no evidence linking the blast to New Delhi and comes amid a pattern of similar accusations by Islamabad.
omg why would the lawmakers just hand over so much power like that? like the military already controls so much in pakistan and now he gets lifetime immunity too??