Is 'trophy thief' Mohsin Naqvi a relative of Asim Munir? Social media exposes why he enjoys impunity in Pakistan

File Photo -- Pakistani Army Chief Syed Asim Munir (C) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi (R) gesture while watching the Pakistan Super League (PSL) Twenty20 cricket match between Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on May 17, 2025. (Photo by Farooq NAEEM / AFP)

Mohsin Naqvi’s rise in Pakistan tells a story of nepotism, military patronage and anti-India posturing wrapped in one ugly package. The man who brazenly hijacked the Asia Cup final presentation, parading with the trophy as though he had won it himself, is now being exposed on social media as more than just an arrogant cricket administrator. Allegations of his close family ties to Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir have triggered a storm. For many, the connection explains why Naqvi has managed to plant himself at the heart of Pakistan’s power nexus, straddling sports, politics and the security establishment, all while flaunting his hostility towards India at every possible stage.

Naqvi’s anti-India slant

Naqvi’s antics at the Asia Cup final summed up his mindset. Instead of letting the players bask in their achievement, he seized the spotlight, holding the trophy aloft and overshadowing the team. This wasn’t just vanity, it was another show of Pakistan’s institutional arrogance towards India. Reports pointed out how Naqvi’s conduct reflected his anti-India bias, a pattern that is consistent with his record as both PCB chief and ACC chairman.

Social media alleges family link with Asim Munir

The latest buzz on X has linked Naqvi directly to Army Chief Asim Munir through family ties. One user wrote, “Mohsin Naqvi is a close relative of Irum Asim (Asim Munir’s wife). Mohsin Naqvi’s wife Warda Ashraf is the niece of former Punjab CM Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi. So nothing will happen to this clown because of his political connections.”

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Another user was even more blunt, saying, “Mohsin Naqvi is the brother-in-law of Asim Munir the dictator. If at all Pakistan was involved in Pahalgam then shaking hands with Mohsin Naqvi would be shaking hands of the terrorists who killed the people in Pahalgam. He is literally the right-hand man of Asim Munir.”

These allegations, widely circulated, fit neatly into the picture of Naqvi as the military’s “blue-eyed boy.” It explains why he controls not just Pakistan cricket and the Asian Cricket Council, but also wields influence over the Interior Ministry.

A history of shady ties in Pakistan cricket

Naqvi’s case is hardly unique. Pakistan cricket has long been entangled with figures close to criminals and extremists. Former PCB chief and batting legend Javed Miandad, for instance, was openly linked to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim through family ties. Miandad’s daughter married Dawood’s son, a connection that embarrassed Pakistan globally but never led to accountability.

Naqvi’s rise is a continuation of this pattern. His proximity to Asim Munir, combined with his political connections through Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi’s family, gives him a protective shield. In a country where generals pull the strings and politicians bend to their will, Naqvi represents the perfect hybrid: a civilian face doing the military’s bidding while basking in the privileges of power.