Field Marshal Asim Munir the Mungeri Lal of Pakistan?

On May 20, the Pakistani authorities elevated General Asim Munir to the rank of Field Marshal, making him solely the second particular person in Pakistan’s historical past to carry this title — after Ayub Khan within the late Nineteen Fifties. Was this transfer only a symbolic honour, or an try at energy consolidation?

In an enticing dialogue, IndiaAt present.in spoke with veteran defence analyst and journalist Sandeep Unnithan, who sees the promotion as half of a bigger narrative — one in all management, ego, and behind-the-scenes dominance in Pakistani politics. Unnithan termed it a “delicate coup,” the place energy is seized with out overtly toppling the federal government.

Unnithan defined that whereas the Field Marshal title is technically honorary, Munir’s transfer appears designed to increase his grip on the navy indefinitely. With no new military chief introduced but, Munir continues as each the Chief of Army Staff and now Field Marshal, a mix with out precedent even in Pakistan’s coup-ridden historical past.

Unnithan argued that that is much less about honour and extra about narrative-building. Despite Pakistan’s setbacks in its current skirmishes with India, Munir is casting himself as a victorious wartime leader. “It’s a bit Walter Mitty-esque,” Unnithan mentioned, referring to James Thurber’s fictional day-dreamer misplaced in fantasies of heroism. “This is Mungeri Lal for you.”

The dialogue goes on to attract comparisons with Pakistan’s previous navy rulers — Ayub Khan, Zia-ul-Haq, and Pervez Musharraf — all of whom believed they had been “God’s reply to Pakistan’s issues”. Munir, Unnithan argued, follows the identical trajectory, although with out assuming a proper political function. Instead, he seems to favor wielding affect whereas letting civilian figures like Shehbaz Sharif soak up the general public and worldwide scrutiny.

The dialog took a lighter flip when requested about how Indian Army officers view such developments. Unnithan responded that Munir’s self-promotion has develop into a “working joke” in navy circles, underscoring how the Pakistani navy’s actions typically stray removed from skilled norms. “It’s not knowledgeable military anymore,” he mentioned, pointing to its entanglement in enterprise, politics, and covert warfare.

Watch the dialogue in full right here:

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