Pakistan Army Chief and Field Marshal Asim Munir recently gained sweeping powers after the passage of the controversial 27th Constitutional Amendment.
The amendment provides him with lifelong legal legal immunity and weakening judicial independence.
Munir’s impending appointment as the country’s new first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) has caused uproar in the country’s political circles with author and National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) member Tilak Devasher claiming that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is deliberately prolonging his stay overseas to avoid the appointment.
Clearing the air, Pakistan’s Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the government would issue the CDF notification would be issued in the coming days, adding that Munir was already “holding the office in all respects”, Dawn reported.
“The PM is out of the country right now, so once he returns, everything should happen…Maybe the paperwork will be completed by then,” Tarar said.
Why was Sharif’s absence highlighted?
Sharif, who is currently in London, failed to oversee and issue the required notification appointing Munir as the first-ever CDF by the November 29 deadline, the day Munir’s original three-year term as army chief ended.
Devasher told ANI that Sharif is not keen on Sharif’s appointment, which would grant Munir a get a five-year term as the CDF.
What does the CDF post entail?
The CDF position, created under the 27th Constitutional Amendment, replaced the now-abolished office of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC). As CDF, he would command all three armed services, the army, air force, and navy, and has sole authority over the country’s nuclear weapons systems.
This role elevates him above the leaders of the other two forces and places overall control of the tri-forces under his command, a shift from previous civilian oversight by the president and cabinet.
The move could lead to him becoming the most powerful army chief in Pakistan’s history.
What other changes are expected in Pakistan’s military structure?
According to Dawn, another pending decision is the appointment of the commander of the National Strategic Command, a new four-star position created to assume the nuclear manager role previously exercised by the CJCSC.
Officials believe this appointment will be made only after the CDF notification is issued.