Pakistan’s military has dismissed speculation suggesting that Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir could be eyeing the post of President, the denial coming amid persistent rumours of a change in the country’s political leadership.
Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), told The Economist that the speculation surrounding his superior was “nonsense”.
The remarks followed an earlier statement by Pakistan’s interior minister Mohsin Naqvi in July clarifying that there was no proposal for President Asif Ali Zardari to resign or for the army chief to take his place.
The Economist report noted that Field Marshal Munir’s popularity had risen following a conflict with India in May.
It added that rumours of a possible presidential role for Munir gained momentum after the ruling coalition secured a two-thirds majority in Pakistan’s parliament, the number required to amend the Constitution.
The Pakistani military and government have repeatedly raised concerns over the spread of misinformation on social media.
Gen Chaudhry described the phenomenon as “digital terrorism” and said the existing laws were not being enforced strongly enough.
On July 10, Naqvi had underlined that President Zardari enjoyed a “strong and respectful” relationship with the military leadership. Quoting the President, he said: “I know who is spreading these falsehoods, why they are doing so, and who stands to benefit from this propaganda.”
Naqvi iterated that Munir was focused solely on Pakistan’s “strength and stability”.
In May, Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had jointly conferred the rank of field marshal on Munir for his “sagacious leadership and exceptional strategy” during the conflict with India.
He became only the second person in Pakistan’s history to be given the ceremonial five-star rank, after Gen Ayub Khan in 1959.
Munir later hosted a dinner where he praised the country’s political leadership for their “strategic foresight” during what he referred to as Marka-i-Haq against India.
The debate around a potential change in presidency resurfaced in July after a meeting between Munir and PM Sharif at the prime minister’s residence, shortly before Sharif met President Zardari.
This marked the third instance of such speculation in recent months. Sharif himself had previously dismissed reports suggesting that Zardari might be forced to resign and that Munir was being considered as his successor.
The talk intensified after US President Donald Trump hosted Field Marshal Munir at the White House on June 18. The meeting, held without any senior Pakistani civilian officials present, was notable for being the first such instance involving a US President and Pakistan’s army chief.
