Pakistan parliament approves expanded powers for army chief

Published: 13 November 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online.

Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has secured sweeping new powers and lifelong legal immunity after parliament passed a controversial bill curbing the independence of the Supreme Court.

The amendment, approved by a two-thirds majority in the lower house on Wednesday, elevates Munir to the newly created post of Chief of Defence Forces, giving him command over the army, navy, and air force. He will retain his rank after completing his term and be protected from prosecution for life. The upper house had already passed the measure after the opposition boycotted the debate.

Critics have condemned the move as “the funeral of democracy” and the “death knell for an independent judiciary.” Opposition figures, including members of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, staged a walkout during the vote, tearing copies of the bill in protest. “None of the parliamentarians cared about democracy and the judiciary being eliminated,” PTI spokesman Zulfikar Bukhari said.

The legislation also grants lifelong immunity from prosecution to President Asif Ali Zardari, who faces multiple corruption allegations, and establishes a new Federal Constitutional Court whose judges will be appointed by the prime minister. This new court will take over constitutional interpretation from the Supreme Court, effectively concentrating judicial power in the hands of the government.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif defended the amendment, saying it recognises all branches of Pakistan’s armed forces and promotes national unity. “If we’ve made this part of the constitution today, it’s not just about the field marshal,” he said. “Nations honour their heroes…We know how to show and earn respect to our heroes.”

Legal experts warn the changes erode judicial independence and weaken the ability of courts to check government overreach. Constitutional lawyer Asad Rahim Khan said, “We’re facing completely uncharted territory: a breach in our judicial system the likes of which we haven’t seen in almost a century.” Fellow lawyer Mirza Moiz Baig described the amendment as “the death knell for an independent judiciary.”

Supporters argue the move is justified by Pakistan’s security situation. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, chair of the Pakistan People’s Party, said the government acted in response to “a situation of war.” Munir, 57, was promoted to field marshal following a four-day conflict with India, during which Pakistan shot down several Indian fighter planes. His leadership in that confrontation earned praise both domestically and from former US President Donald Trump, who called him his “favourite field marshal.”

As the legislation awaits President Zardari’s formal approval, analysts say it signals a historic shift in Pakistan’s balance of power, further consolidating authority in the hands of the military and the ruling coalition while raising serious concerns about the future of judicial independence.