Pakistan’s parliament, on November 12, approved a constitutional amendment to expand the powers of the country’s army chief and curb the remit of its Supreme Court. The legislation makes army chief General Asim Munir the all-powerful chief of defence forces (CDF), empowering him to decide who controls Pakistan’s nuclear weapons arsenal and command all three armed forces—the army, air force and navy.
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The legislation also legalises Munir’s field marshal rank and gives him lifelong immunity from the courts or removal. For India, this means a unitary, all-powerful military officer holding unchecked power over Pakistan’s military and nukes—thus raising serious risks for the region.
The Pakistan government has enacted the 27th Constitutional Amendment to introduce the office of the CDF.
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