By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD : Pakistan has elevated its army chief, General Asim Munir, to the rank of field marshal, a rare and prestigious honor that makes him only the second general in the nation’s history to hold this title, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office announced on Tuesday.
The promotion follows Munir’s leadership during a tense four-day military standoff with India earlier this month, that followed heavy shelling, drone attacks, and air strikes before a US-brokered ceasefire took hold on May 10.
The rank of field marshal, the highest in armies modeled after the British system, is a ceremonial five-star distinction reserved for extraordinary leadership and wartime achievement. It was last bestowed in 1959 on General Mohammad Ayub Khan, who later seized power in a coup.
“The Government of Pakistan has approved the promotion of General Syed Asim Munir (Nishan-e-Imtiaz Military) to the rank of Field Marshal in recognition of the superior strategy and bold leadership demonstrated during Operation Bunyān-e-Marsūs, which ensured the country’s security and inflicted a decisive defeat on the enemy,” PM Sharif’s office said in a statement released after a meeting of the federal cabinet.
“Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir led the Pakistan Army with exemplary courage and resolve and effectively coordinated the armed forces’ war strategy and efforts. Due to the Army Chief’s exceptional leadership, Pakistan achieved a historic victory in the Battle for Truth.”
The escalation between the arch rivals began with last month’s Pahalgam attack, a shadowy incident that prompted India to launch air strikes on May 6-7 targeting Punjab and Azad Kashmir regions, where civilians were among the casualties. Pakistan retaliated, downing five Indian jets and intercepting drones amid heavy missile and artillery exchanges. Both sides pounded each other’s airbases, pushing the nuclear-armed neighbors perilously close to all-out war.
The US stepped in to broker a ceasefire, which holds for now. Still, the calm is uneasy. India has kept up its sharp rhetoric, while Pakistan has called for talks but warned it will not tolerate further aggression.
Munir, a career soldier commissioned into the Frontier Force Regiment through the Officers Training School in Mangla, has climbed steadily through Pakistan’s military ranks. Promoted to three-star general in September 2018, he took command two months later, with his term as army chief set to end this November 27. His resume includes stints as chief of Military Intelligence in 2017 and a brief tenure as head of Inter-Services Intelligence in 2018, cut short after eight months at the behest of then-Prime Minister Imran Khan. Before becoming army chief, he led the Gujranwala Corps for two years and served as quartermaster general at General Headquarters.
“In recognition of his outstanding military leadership, courage, and bravery, ensuring Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and courageous defence against the enemy, the cabinet approved the prime minister’s proposal to promote General Syed Asim Munir to the rank of field marshal,” the statement said.
The government also recognized others involved in the operation. Air Chief Marshal Zahar Ahmed Babar Sidhu will stay on past his term’s end, and the cabinet approved high government awards for officers, soldiers, war veterans, martyrs, and civilians who contributed during the crisis, the statement said.
General Munir said its a collective achievement. “I am grateful to God for receiving the position, dedicating it to the entire nation, the armed forces of Pakistan, especially the civil and military martyrs and veterans,” he said in a statement issued by the military’s Inter-Services Public Relations arm.
“I am grateful to the president of Pakistan, the prime minister and the cabinet for their trust,” he added, noting that the honor reflects “the trust of the nation, for which millions of Asims have sacrificed themselves.” “This is not an individual honour but an honour for the armed forces of Pakistan and the entire nation.”
President Asif Ali Zardari, briefed on the move by Sharif, congratulates General Munir. “Under General Syed Asim Munir’s leadership, the armed forces have successfully defended the homeland,” Zardari said in a statement from the presidency. “He deserved the promotion for effectively countering Indian aggression, successfully defending the homeland and employing excellent military strategy.”
Security analysts see Munir’s new title as more than ceremonial. Given its rarity and the context of his promotion, they expect he will remain army chief, reinforcing his authority at a pivotal moment. The move could also strengthen the military’s already outsized influence in Pakistan’s political sphere, where army leaders have long shaped national policy, sometimes from behind the scenes, sometimes more overtly.
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