Pakistan's parliament has approved a controversial constitutional amendment that will give its army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, unprecedented powers, effectively undermining democracy in the country. The bill grants Munir immunity from prosecution for life, allowing him to rule with impunity, while also expanding his authority over the military and judiciary.
Critics argue that this move is a "funeral for democracy" as it limits the independence of the supreme court and establishes a new federal constitutional court that will be controlled by the executive. The decision to appoint judges to this court will rest solely with the president, removing any accountability processes.
"This effectively has set us on the way to a lifelong dictatorship in Pakistan," said Salahuddin Ahmed, a constitutional lawyer. "Completely destroys any notion of independence in the judiciary in Pakistan."
The amendment has been met with widespread criticism from opposition parties and civil society groups, who argue that it serves only to enshrine military rule and push Pakistan further into authoritarianism.
Pakistan's parliament has struggled to pass meaningful reforms since the country transitioned to democracy in 2008. However, this latest move suggests a significant shift towards militarization, with Munir now holding power akin to head of state, having met with US President Donald Trump on two occasions.
The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party boycotted the vote, and many of its leaders are behind bars, further eroding their influence. The bill was passed in a record-breaking few hours, with only four lawmakers voting against it, highlighting the weakness of the ruling coalition government.
Asim Munir has been army chief since 2022, and his increased powers have sparked concerns about the erosion of civilian control. This move is seen as a significant challenge to democracy in Pakistan, which has struggled to maintain its fragile institutions amidst pressure from powerful military leaders.
Critics argue that this move is a "funeral for democracy" as it limits the independence of the supreme court and establishes a new federal constitutional court that will be controlled by the executive. The decision to appoint judges to this court will rest solely with the president, removing any accountability processes.
"This effectively has set us on the way to a lifelong dictatorship in Pakistan," said Salahuddin Ahmed, a constitutional lawyer. "Completely destroys any notion of independence in the judiciary in Pakistan."
The amendment has been met with widespread criticism from opposition parties and civil society groups, who argue that it serves only to enshrine military rule and push Pakistan further into authoritarianism.
Pakistan's parliament has struggled to pass meaningful reforms since the country transitioned to democracy in 2008. However, this latest move suggests a significant shift towards militarization, with Munir now holding power akin to head of state, having met with US President Donald Trump on two occasions.
The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party boycotted the vote, and many of its leaders are behind bars, further eroding their influence. The bill was passed in a record-breaking few hours, with only four lawmakers voting against it, highlighting the weakness of the ruling coalition government.
Asim Munir has been army chief since 2022, and his increased powers have sparked concerns about the erosion of civilian control. This move is seen as a significant challenge to democracy in Pakistan, which has struggled to maintain its fragile institutions amidst pressure from powerful military leaders.
I'm telling ya, this new amendment is gonna be a disaster for Pakistans' democratic future 
. They're basically saying "peace out" to any chance of having an independent judiciary and supreme court. It's like, what's the point of even having a democracy if you can just hand-pick judges who'll do your bidding? 
And don't even get me started on this whole "funeral for democracy" thing 
... it's more like a bad reality TV show where Pakistan's politicians are trying to out-do each other in the 'who can be most subservient to the military' contest. 
... i mean, who needs checks and balances when you've got a strong leader like field marshal asim munir, right? 
anyway, can't wait to see how this whole "lifespan of immunity" thing plays out... i'm sure it'll be super fun watching the supreme court just rubber-stamp everything the president tells them 
how did parliament even manage to get this passed with only 4 people voting against it? and now the army chief is basically untouchable? that's super concerning for democracy in Pakistan 
. I don't blame the opposition party for boycotting the vote, they must have seen it was a lost cause 
. it's like they're just playing along with this militarization thing and it's so sad 
.
I'm really worried about what's happening in Pakistan right now... I mean, I get that some people think the army chief should have more power, but this seems like a big overreach 
. But what I do know is that this move is going to make things really tough for civilians in Pakistan who are trying to hold their leaders accountable.
. I'm seriously worried about the future of Pakistan and its people. How are they going to hold someone in power accountable if they can just make themselves above the law? 
It's so frustrating, they've been struggling to pass meaningful reforms since 2008 and now this... it's like they're taking two steps forward and three steps back 
. I don't know what's more concerning, the fact that they're undermining democracy or that they can do it with such ease 
the fact that they're basically giving the army chief more power than anyone else in the country is super concerning for me. i mean, if he's supposed to be above the law and can't get prosecuted, it's like a big ol' red flag waving in my face 
how are we supposed to trust our government when one person has so much control?
it's like they're trying to set up a permanent dictatorship. and what's with asim munir meeting with trump on two occasions?! 
is this some kind of agreement between the military and usa? i don't think pakistan can survive with this kind of militarization...
. i mean, what's next? is the pm gonna get replaced by a military general too? 
.
. Pakistan's parliament is basically just rubber-stamping whatever Asim Munir wants, which is super concerning for democracy and human rights 
. What a great look for democracy 
where they manipulate someone into becoming a puppet for their own evil plans? In Pakistan's case, it's more like a real-life "Die Hard" 
, but instead of terrorists, it's the military that's taking over.
. It's crazy that they're basically creating a lifeline for dictatorship 
, and I mean, who wants to live in a place where the military is in charge 24/7? 
. We can't just sit back and let authoritarianism take over a country with such a rich history and culture 
.
. It's like they're playing a real-life Hunger Games game over there... no mercy, no quarter 
.
. Can't we all just agree that democracy is the best way forward? 
I mean, what's next? Giving the army chief his own Netflix special? "Asim Munir: Army Chief and Supreme Ruler" 
and that's so not cool. what's next? 
. The opposition party boycotted the vote, which is even more messed up. I mean, what's the point of having democracy if you can just pass laws without anyone holding you accountable? 
asim munir has already got too much power and now he's gonna rule for life? no thanks 
. It's like they're playing with fire here, undermining democracy and all that. The opposition party even boycotted the vote, which is crazy 
I mean, I get it, they want stability and all that, but come on! This is like a step back into the dark ages of military rule. The opposition party boycotted the vote and now many of its leaders are in jail... it's like they're suffocating any form of dissent.
not being able 2 speak out against the gov is super scary 2 me... 