Field Marshal Asim Munir is set to assume the newly created post of Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) under the Twenty‑seventh Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan. He will simultaneously remain Chief of Army Staff (COAS), consolidating control over the army, navy and air force in his hands. With this move, the longstanding post of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) has been abolished.
The amendment rewrote Article 243 of the constitution, transferring supreme command from the presidency and civilian government to Munir as CDF. The reorganisation also grants him lifetime privileges and legal immunity, formalising his dominant role.
What it means for civilian rule in Pakistan
This constitutional overhaul marks more than a reform of the military hierarchy. It effectively subordinates civilian institutions under military rule. Under the new structure, the civilian government and even the judiciary have lost key checks over the military.
With all three services under one command and control over nuclear assets, strategic decision-making, appointments and organisational reform, the military now has full authority over both defence and state security. The presidency’s traditional role as Commander-in-Chief becomes ceremonial.
The creation of additional posts, such as the Commander of National Strategic Command and a Vice Chief of Army Staff, further deepens the control of the military over every aspect of governance, law and order, and strategic decision-making.
This change undermines democratic accountability. The military now operates under legal cover, with its supremacy enshrined in the constitution itself. Critics warn this will cement authoritarian rule under the guise of national security, reduce parliamentary relevance and degrade the independence of the judiciary.
In essence, Pakistan is transitioning from a de facto military-influenced state to a de jure military-run state. The political facade of civilian rule may remain, but real power now rests with one man in uniform.
Why this should worry India
For India, this consolidation of power under Munir represents a major destabilising risk. Pakistani civil-military decision making, including nuclear command and strategic planning, will now be tightly centralised and less transparent. With the navy, air force and army under one authoritative node, any future military escalation could be executed swiftly, without bureaucratic friction or oversight.
Munir’s past rhetoric has shown a hardline stance against India. As head of Pakistan’s intelligence agencies and now the overall armed forces, he carries both ideological conviction and operational control. His enhanced power reduces internal dissent or debate that might otherwise moderate aggressive decisions.
Moreover, legal immunity and constitutional protection mean neither civilian leadership nor courts can check or challenge his decisions. This structural impunity increases the possibility of arbitrary use of military force, including cross-border operations, under the cover of legality.
In short, India now faces a neighbour where military leadership, not elected representatives, sets the strategic course. That makes diplomatic engagement, intelligence planning, and security readiness even more complicated.
The 27th Amendment has institutionalised what Pakistani generations have long known: that the real power lies with the uniform, not the ballot. The formal creation of a CDF role for Asim Munir gives legal and constitutional legitimacy to military dominance. Civilian rule becomes symbolic, parliamentary checks vanish, and the judiciary becomes a passive witness.
What was earlier achieved through coups, back-room deals and institutional inertia has now been enshrined in law. With this, Pakistan takes a definitive step away from even the illusion of democracy and toward an entrenched military-run state, with all the risks that entails, both at home and for its neighbours.
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