Will Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir soon dislodge President Asif Ali Zardari? Is this the beginning of a soft coup or just another conspiracy theory?
For a country that has been under military rule for half of its existence since 1947, talks of a military coup are not new. But when a Pakistani Army Chief gets to meet the US President even before the country’s Prime Minister, or when a former Prime Minister says the Army Chief is out to kill him, the rumours in the corridors of power are too loud to be ignored. Welcome to Pakistan, where its newly christened Field Marshall, Army Chief Asim Munir, spent two hours having lunch with US President Donald Trump in the White House last month. Now, Munir is going on a tour to Sri Lanka and Indonesia to meet the top leadership there — sans his Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif.
Is General Asim Munir eyeing full power in Islamabad? Will he soon dislodge President Asif Ali Zardari and become the President? Is this the beginning of a soft coup or just another conspiracy theory?
PM Sharif responded: “There is no plan, no desire to be the President on part of Munir.”
But Sharif also knows there are precedents. Munir became Field Marshal recently — only the second time in history after Ayub Khan. Ayub, of course, went on to the become dictator-president.
So, the talk in the region now is: Is Munir the next Ayub? Sharif’s denial has only added more fuel to the fire.
Why Asim Munir is powerful
Munir has held every key post in Pakistan: DG ISI, DG Military Intelligence, Corps Commander, and now the Army Chief. Munir accompanied Pakistan PM Sharif on a string of high-level visits to Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Türkiye, Iran, and Azerbaijan in May and June. But since then, his diplomacy tour is only about him. A Field Marshall portraying to all who really calls the shots in Pakistan.
The Pakistani Military on July 10 issued a rare public statement on Munir’s US trip, usually the domain of the country’s foreign ministry. The rare and exclusive luncheon at the White House with President Donald Trump in the Cabinet Room and the Oval Room in June underlined why this was significant — the US also realises that Munir is the one it needs to deal with. The Pakistan PM, interestingly, is still to meet Trump.
Earlier, during the height of Operation Sindoor, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Munir to stand down, not PM Sharif.