In Pakistan, there has been a big political tempest regarding a proposed constitutional amendment -the 27th amendment- that may greatly increase the authority of the military and in the center of which is the Army Chief General Asim Munir. The amendment which is on the debate between the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has brought forth suspicion that it will make the balance of governance lean even further towards the military establishment at the expense of the civilian government.
The centre of the proposed amendment is a move to undermine Article 243 of the Pakistani Constitution to provide General Asim Munir with a longer tenure to its expiry on November 28, 2025. The amendment also aims at formalizing his status as a Field Marshal- a title, which is said to have been granted due to the success that Pakistan has had countering the Operation Sindoor by India earlier this year. Upon approval, Munir would be only the second officer in the history of Pakistan to be given the rank behind Ayub Khan, who had declared himself Field Marshal in 1959 in the aftermath of a military coup.
Political experts warn the action might cement the military control over the administration of Pakistan, which may possible strip away the provincial autonomy and destroy the judiciary, and revert the years of democratic gains. Opponents state that this amendment would wipe a line between military and civil power in a nation that is already characterized by a continued pattern of coups and political unrest.
Although previous speculations indicated in fact that Munir could reach to leadership position such as presidency, which is currently under possession of Asif Ali Zardari, the discussions have since been silenced. But with the proposed 27 th Amendment, many worry that Pakistan is heading into the direction of the era of increased military operations, with some new questions emerging about the future of democracy in the crisis-stricken South Asian state.
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