Elevation Of General Syed Asim Munir To Field Marshal: A Gambit, Not Glory

Seen from a purely Pakistani perspective, the elevation of General Syed Asim Munir to the rank of Field Marshal may seem like a justified tribute to a military hero. He is the first to receive this rank, traditionally reserved for extraordinary wartime leadership, though General Ayub Khan had once awarded it to himself. In a carefully choreographed move, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took the initiative, secured cabinet approval, and obtained President Asif Zardari’s assent. According to Pakistan’s official narrative, the honour was conferred for “vanquishing the enemy” in what is now dubbed the “Battle for Truth”. May 10, the day a ceasefire was agreed upon between India and Pakistan, will henceforth be observed annually as a sort of victory day. In this celebratory vein, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, already on extension, has been given yet another term.

Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, a term drawn from the Quran meaning “solid structure”, is touted as a counter to India’s Operation Sindoor and projected as a grand success. What the Pakistani public isn’t told is the degree to which their forces were outmatched by the Indian Air Force. A tightly controlled narrative has allowed the Pakistani establishment to craft a solitary “victory” to trumpet. There is no denying that General Munir, now Field Marshal, stands at the pinnacle of popularity in Pakistan. In the domestic imagination, he stared India down and compelled international intervention—most notably, a premature and unsolicited statement from US President Donald Trump. The world had rightly condemned the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians but stopped short of holding Pakistan directly accountable. Trump’s statement, despite the Simla Agreement’s bar on third-party mediation, gave the impression that his words alone had prevented an all-out war, an illusion Pakistan has eagerly embraced.

For Pakistan, being equated with India in the eyes of foreign powers, despite India’s economy being 12 times larger, is a diplomatic victory of sorts. Yet, Prime Minister Sharif is not unaware of the risks of lionising a military chief. History provides a cautionary tale in General Musharraf, who launched the ill-fated Kargil war and subsequently seized power through a coup. There is little to suggest that the April 22 attack was green-lit by civilian leadership. Rather, it seems to have been a unilateral act by Munir, perhaps to redeem himself after a humiliating train hijack incident. By bestowing the coveted five-star rank upon him, Sharif might be attempting to defang any political ambition Munir harbours. Also, he had to be thankful to him for stymying the calls for Imran Khan’s release. Be that as it may, Munir must realise: in the India of today, cross-border adventurism will find no quarter. Rank may offer prestige, but it cannot shield against the consequences of miscalculation. Better be careful!