Pakistan amends Constitution to give Asim Munir new powers: Details

The 27th Amendment Bill creates the post of Chief of Defence Forces, merges it with the army chief's office, and abolishes the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee

Pakistan’s government on Saturday presented the draft of the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill in the Senate, proposing a major rewrite of Article 243 of the Constitution, Dawn reported. The Bill creates a new post of Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and abolishes the long-standing office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC).

 

The amendment grants broader, constitutionally protected powers and privileges to Pakistan’s top military leadership, which currently rests with Army chief General Asim Munir. Pakistan's Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar introduced the Bill after cabinet approval, and Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gillani referred it to the relevant committees for review.

 

 

What Article 243 amendment states

 

Under the proposed amendment, the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) will become the constitutionally recognised Chief of Defence Forces, combining the current army chief’s powers with a new, overarching role at the top of the armed services.

 

The president, acting on the prime minister’s advice, will continue to appoint the army, naval, and air chiefs, with the army chief concurrently serving as Chief of Defence Forces.

 

The Bill also introduces the Commander of the National Strategic Command, who will oversee nuclear and strategic assets and be appointed by the prime minister on the army chief’s recommendation.

 

Another clause provides lifetime constitutional protection for officers elevated to five-star ranks, like Field Marshal, Marshal of the Air Force, or Admiral of the Fleet, and granting them permanent uniformed status, privileges, and immunities comparable to those of the president under Article 248. These officers can only be removed through a process similar to Article 47 impeachment.

 

The CJCSC office will be abolished on November 27, 2025, when the tenure of the incumbent, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, ends.

 

What it means for Asim Munir

 

If enacted, the amendment will formally place General Asim Munir, the current COAS, at the apex of Pakistan’s military command as Chief of Defence Forces.

 

Law Minister Tarar told the Senate that Munir had been awarded the title of Field Marshal, calling it an honorary lifetime title, distinct from the army chief’s five-year appointment. “These titles will be given to national heroes,” he said, reported Dawn.

 

Munir was awarded the title of Field Marshal after military clashes with India in May this year.

 

The amendment institutionalises a unified command structure, giving Munir a constitutionally defined position above all three services. It also allows him a decisive role in nuclear command appointments, as the prime minister must appoint the Commander of the National Strategic Command on the COAS’ recommendation.

 

What Pakistan’s Opposition said

 

The move has triggered strong reactions from opposition parties and civil society. While the government has framed the Bill as a technical modernisation of command structures, critics argue it further strengthens the military’s dominance.

 

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Ali Zafar objected to debating the amendment without a recognised opposition leader in the Senate, saying lawmakers could not discuss “something we have not read". He suggested converting the Senate into a “committee as a whole” for fuller deliberation.

 

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had earlier revealed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s delegation had sought PPP’s support for the constitutional package, which brought the proposal into public view.

 

How Article 243 has been reshaped in past

 

Article 243 has a history of being amended to reflect shifts in Pakistan’s civil-military power balance. In the 1973 Constitutional amendment, command of the armed forces was vested in the President. A 1976 amendment brought that power under the Prime Minister’s control.

 

Later, under General Pervez Musharraf, the President regained de facto control over military appointments despite constitutional changes. Subsequent civilian governments gradually restored the Prime Minister’s role, but without upsetting the military’s entrenched dominance in national security affairs.

 

What it means for Pakistan’s civil-military balance

 

If approved, the 27th Amendment would represent the most significant restructuring of Pakistan’s defence command since the 1980s. It would centralise inter-service coordination and strategic command within the army chief’s office, effectively merging the CJCSC’s functions into that of the COAS.

 

The proposal to appoint the Commander of the National Strategic Command, drawn exclusively from the army and nominated by the COAS, further entrenches military influence over nuclear and strategic portfolios.

 

The lifetime privileges for five-star officers, with constitutional immunities akin to those of the president, could reshape the power equilibrium between civilian and military institutions.

 

According to analysts cited by Dawn, the 27th Amendment is seen by some as the latest attempt to recalibrate this balance—by formalising military influence already wielded behind the scenes or by pre-empting future conflicts over authority.