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Pakistan's political landscape is uncertain following the expiration of the deadline for appointing the country's first Chief of Defence Forces. Asim Munir, the current Army Chief, faces a precarious situation, with questions surrounding his position and potential impact on regional stability.
Speaking with ANI, Tilak Devasher, a former Member of the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) expressed concerns that Munir might provoke an incident to assert his influence, despite uncertainty about his official status. This situation raises tensions, particularly given Munir's history of anti-India rhetoric. "Just to prove his utility, he (Asim Munir) could provoke an incident. Even though technically he may not be the Army Chief, he could still provoke it. Who is to challenge him? So, it's a very unsatisfactory and even a very serious, situation for Pakistan. Because even the Army is not sure whether he is the chief or not and in case it gets into his mind to provoke an incident with India, what happens then? So, it's a dangerous situation," he said. On the delay in the announcement of Pakistan's next Army Chief, Devasher said that the weakness of the civilian government was that it had to create the post of the Chief of Defence Forces under pressure from the army. He said, "The fact is that the civilian leadership is extremely weak to oppose Asim Munir and the military. So, they are doing these tricks by the back door. If they were strong, they could have told him that they were not going to give him five years or make him Chief of Defence Forces. But this was rammed through Parliament under pressure from the Army to create the post of Chief of Defence Forces, which is also the Head of the Air Force and the Navy. So, it is because of the weakness of the civilian government. That's the reason why they are delaying it through backdoor tactics rather than being upfront. He has already done three years, so by the time he finishes, he will have done eight years. He could then seek five years after that. People suspect that if he gets five years now till 2030, he will carry on till 2035." Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Sunday said that the notification regarding the Chief of Defence Forces' (CDF) appointment would be issued "in due course of time", the process for which had started, Dawn reported. The CDF position, created under the 27th Constitutional Amendment, replaced the now-abolished office of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), which formally ended on November 27. It will be a dual-hatted position combined with the office of the army chief. Officials and observers had expected the new notification to coincide with the abolition of the CJCSC post, but November 29 was seen as a critical marker, as it was the date on which the original three-year tenure of the incumbent Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Asim Munir, was set to expire. Asif's statement came as the November 29 date passed without any notification being issued to formally appoint the country's first CDF, as per Dawn. His statement implies that the notification will be issued upon Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's return to the country, who is currently visiting London. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar told Dawn that the PM would return to Pakistan on Monday. (ANI)
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