Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir has dismissed speculation about changes in the country’s presidency and premiership, after rumours suggested that he would be replacing Asif Ali Zardari as Pakistan’s President.
There was intense speculation that President Asif Ali Zardari may soon step down, potentially paving the way for the army chief to assume the country’s presidency. This followed the newly appointed Field Marshal’s two visits to the United States within a month, during which he held talks with top U.S. leadership, bypassing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
After stopping over in Belgium from his visit to US, Munir told the Daily Jang newspaper, where he said the rumours of any changes in Pakistan’s presidency and the prime ministership were false.
“When informed that this ‘news’ had been circulated by both civil and military agencies, he [Field Marshal Munir] said this could not be possible," Dawn quoted the column. He also accused elements behind these rumours of creating “political anarchy".
Some reports had suggested that an effort was underway in Pakistan to replace the current parliamentary system with a presidential form of government. Some reports suggested that President Zardari had called for his son Bilawal Bhutto to be part of the new government as a condition for his exit.
Asim Munir is a powerful figure in Pakistan, a country where military coups are not uncommon. He has held every key post: DG ISI, DG Military Intelligence, Corps Commander, and now the Army Chief. He was also promoted to Field Marshal recently, only the second time in Pakistan after Ayub Khan, who went on to become dictator-president.
However, when asked about his political ambitions, Munir said,"God has made me the protector of the country. I do not desire any position other than that."
He also praised the prime minister and his 18-hour work streak and said “political reconciliation" was only possible if there was a sincere apology, a reference to incarcerated former PM Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
Munir also appeared confident in balancing ties between the United States and China, calling US President Donald Trump’s peace efforts “genuine", but underscoring that Pakistan will “not sacrifice one friend for another".
Earlier, during the height of Operation Sindoor, when India launched strikes at terror infrastructure in retaliation to the Pahalgam attack, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Munir to stand down, not PM Sharif, showing Munir’s power bypassing that of the country’s own head of government.
India views Munir as the mastermind behind the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 tourists were gunned down. Munir is a key proponent of the two-nation theory, often referring to Kashmir as Pakistan’s “jugular vein" and emphasising the divide between Hindus and Muslims.
Source: News18