The Munir amendment: Pakistan set to become a constitutional security state

New Delhi, Nov 6 (IANS) The Pakistan government and Army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir appear to have ironed out their differences over the tenure of the latter after differences had arisen out of it.

While Munir had proposed that he remain Army chief until 2028, the government was insistent that his term comes to an end next year.

While Munir managed to bestow upon himself the rank of Field Marshal, under the constitution of Pakistan that is only a ceremonial post.

Just being a Field Marshal was not good enough for Munir as he would have no powers to make decisions once his term as Army chief comes to an end.

Now with the 27th amendment set to be tabled in Parliament, a lot of changes will be seen, especially when it comes to the post of Field Marshal. The amendment seeks to modify Article 243 of the Pakistan Constitution. If the amendment goes through, then it would establish the constitutional office of the Field Marshal of Pakistan. Munir would then have a five year tenure like the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Munir would also have the power to appoint the head of the Army, Navy and Air Force. He would also appoint the Director General of the ISI.

Munir, owing to several decisions he has taken on the political front, has been insecure about his position for some time. Through this amendment he has ensured that the Field Marshal would get constitutional protection. This makes him immune from both judicial and political challenge.

Amendments will also be introduced to the Army Act, 1952. This would abolish the office of Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. The amendment will also create the post of Vice Chief of Army Staff under the Field Marshal. Further, the terms of the service chiefs would be fixed at five years.

Officials in India say that the amendment appears to have been tailored for Asim Munir. He has ensured that Pakistan remains a democracy for the rest of the world, while his own country would be turned into a security state. The power to appoint the service chiefs gives Munir the chance to instal people of his choice. Having control over the armed forces and the ISI is as good as having control over the entire country.

To top it all, Munir has also ensured that he is constitutionally protected against any legal or political challenge. It could be called as the Munir amendment, experts say and point out that once the amendment is cleared, Pakistan would be controlled by a hybrid regime.

The democratically-elected government would just be a puppet in the hands of the Field Marshal. Moreover, the Army is also in charge of managing the resource extraction projects and infrastructure investments. The Army claims that these are important projects since they are in collaboration with the US and Chinese firms. The move comes in the wake of Pakistan recently signing a multi-billion dollar agreement with the US for direct mineral extraction.

The Shehbaz Sharif government which is in power courtesy the Pakistan Army is confident that it has the numbers to have the amendment passed. The Opposition, however, is going to object to this because if the amendment goes through, then the government would always be subordinate to the Field Marshal. This would mean that the votes of the people are just going to become a formality at least until Munir is in charge for the next five years.

This amendment would, however, prevent a military coup since Munir has decided to play it smartly. This amendment ensures that he remains fully in charge of the country. The government would have the powers to make certain decisions, but it would have to check with the Field Marshal before that, considering the powers the amendment gives the post. With immunity and powers to appoint the service chiefs, Munir would not have to bother about plotting a coup. The Army anyways would have a significant share in governance.

If the military would stage a coup and an Army general takes over, it would put Pakistan in a spot of bother. Pakistan would come under immense pressure from the international community and this could result in cancelling of deals and probably sanctions too. Munir has smartly managed to avoid all this since technically it is the democratically-elected government that is ruling Pakistan.

The Bill to amend the Constitution would first go before the Senate on November 7 before it can be tabled in the National Assembly for a final decision. Going by the numbers and also the clout the Army enjoys, the Bill already seems to have the numbers in the National Assembly for it to be passed.

--IANS

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