Pakistan govt promotes Army Chief Asif Munir to field marshal rank

The elevation makes Munir only the second serving chief to be awarded the rank in Pakistan's history, the first being Gen Ayub Khan, who awarded himself the honour

Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir has been promoted to Field Marshal for what the Pakistani government claimed as "successfully" leading that country's armed forces in the recent cross-border conflict with India, PTI reported on Tuesday.

 

The Pakistan cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, took the decision to “promote General Asim Munir as Field Marshal” of the country, making him only the second army chief to be decorated as such.

 

  "The Government of Pakistan has approved the promotion of Gen Asim Munir (Nishan-e-Imtiaz Military) to the rank of Field Marshal for ensuring the security of the country and defeating the enemy based on the high strategy and courageous leadership," the Pak prime minister's office said in a statement.

 

"General Munir led the army with exemplary courage and determination and coordinated the war strategy and efforts of the armed forces in a comprehensive manner," the statement added.

 

Gen Munir's track record

 

Known for his controversial remarks, the Pakistani army chief has been in the news for making anti-India statements. He has also made several speeches which have been considered as 'anti-Hindu' as well, the most recent one only a few days before the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which he called Kashmir the 'jugular vein' of Pakistan. 

 

General Munir, who became the Chief of the Army Staff in November 2022, led the Pakistan armed forces in the recent conflict against India's Operation Sindoor that was carried out by the Indian armed forces in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 civilians were killed.

 

"This is not a personal achievement, but a tribute to the armed forces and the people of Pakistan,” General Munir said in a statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

 

Who is a Field Marshal?

 

The Field Marshal rank is the highest military rank in the country and is rarely conferred. This is only the second time in Pakistan’s history that the five-star rank has been awarded to an officer.

 

The first person to be awarded the rank of Field Marshal was General Mohammad Ayub Khan, who was the president of Pakistan from 1958 to 1969. However, Gen Ayub awarded the honour to himself in 1959 after he had become the president by executing a coup.

 

According to India Today, the Field Marshal is positioned above the rank of General and equivalent to Admiral of the Fleet in the Navy and Marshal of the Air Force in the Air Force. The rank is largely honorary, carrying no additional statutory powers or pay beyond its symbolic prestige, and is reserved for exceptional service in times of extraordinary national importance.

 

In India, this rank has been awarded to three army officers so far: Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw (1973), Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa (1986) and Field Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh (2002).

 

(With inputs from PTI)