Who runs Pakistan? Shehbaz Sharif admits ‘hybrid regime’, begging for funds and boasts military unity will ‘astonish’ India

File photo of Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir and PM Shehbaz Sharif

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif admitted Pakistan is run by a “hybrid regime,” with the military holding real power. He credited the army for economic rescue, acknowledged financial dependence, and highlighted military dominance over governance and national decision-making.

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Pakistan’s civilian leadership has now dropped all pretence of democratic control. In an extraordinary public admission, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has openly declared that the country is being run through a “hybrid regime”, effectively conceding that the military, not the elected government, is the real power centre keeping Pakistan afloat.

Speaking to exporters and business leaders in Islamabad, Sharif credited the army leadership for rescuing Pakistan from economic collapse, laying bare the reality of a state surviving on military dominance rather than civilian governance. The remarks amounted to a rare, unvarnished confession that Pakistan’s democracy has been reduced to a facade, with generals steering both the economy and national decision-making. For a country that routinely claims constitutional normalcy, the Prime Minister’s words exposed a system propped up by coercion, control and crisis management.

Sharif went further, publicly acknowledging the humiliation of Pakistan’s financial dependence. Referring to the country’s debt crisis, he admitted, “I can say without hesitation that without the help of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, many of our most pressing problems could not have been solved.” In a separate admission that underscored Pakistan’s desperation, Sharif said he and the army chief were forced to seek external bailouts, adding that he would “feel ashamed when Munir and I go begging for money”.

The Prime Minister praised the military’s “one-hundred-per-cent role” in curbing petrol smuggling and stabilising the sugar industry, effectively conceding that even basic economic governance has been outsourced to the armed forces. By describing the arrangement as a “partnership,” Sharif tacitly admitted that the civilian administration now functions in a subordinate role to the military high command.

These remarks follow sweeping constitutional changes in late 2025 that elevated General Asim Munir to the rank of Field Marshal and installed him as Pakistan’s first Chief of Defence Forces, granting him overarching authority over all three services and the nuclear command. The move institutionalised military supremacy within the state structure.

Against this backdrop, Munir on January 29 projected confidence and control during a visit to Bahawalpur Garrison. Addressing troops, he said Pakistan’s armed forces were undergoing “major transformation in multiple domains” and remained fully prepared to defend the country’s sovereignty against all threats. He emphasised readiness for future battlefields, noting that “in future, technological manoeuvres will replace physical manoeuvres and will fundamentally alter the way offensive and defensive operations are undertaken.” ”.

According to the army, Munir stressed rapid adoption of technology, adding that “innovation, indigenisation and adaptation shall remain fundamental.” He also witnessed the high-intensity field exercise “Steadfast Resolve” at Khairpur Tamewali, showcasing unmanned aerial systems, advanced surveillance assets, electronic warfare tools and modern command-and-control mechanisms.

Munir additionally inaugurated the ROHI eSkills Learning Hub aimed at promoting digital skills, and visited the EME Regional Workshop, where he was briefed on sustaining modern military platforms through advanced technologies and indigenisation.

Even as Sharif boasted that Pakistan’s civil-military unity would leave India “astonished” and “puzzled,” his own words revealed a far starker truth. Pakistan today stands as a country where elected leaders openly acknowledge begging for funds abroad while celebrating military dominance at home. Far from strength, the confessions point to a state hollowed out by debt, dependency and democratic decay.