Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir allegedly ordered Pahalgam massacre to divert attention and gain support.
NEW DELHI: The 57-year-old Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Asim Munir, facing a disgruntled public and dissent within his own ranks, allegedly ordered the Pahalgam massacre to divert attention from himself and foster pro-military sympathy among the country’s people, according to assessments by relevant sources.
Munir, whose tenure was extended from three to five years until November 2027, with speculation about further extensions, leads an army accused of ousting one of Pakistan’s most popular political figures in recent times, former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
This move, coupled with revelations about Pakistani army generals owning significant movable and immovable assets both in Pakistan and abroad, has led to widespread negative perceptions of the institution among its people for the first time in the country’s history.
The military’s wealth, estimated at $20 billion in 2018, includes over 50 commercial enterprises under entities like the Fauji Foundation, Army Welfare Trust, and Defence Housing Authority (DHA), with interests in banking, real estate, and fertilisers. Senior officers control vast land holdings, often acquired at nominal prices, and own properties in places like Dubai, London, and Canada, fuelling public resentment, as highlighted by an October 2018 The Sunday Guardian report (“Poor Pak’s rich army sitting on assets worth $20 billion”).
Sources suggest Munir has gambled by ordering this terror strike, betting that an Indian military response will spark a wave of nationalism, bolster his support, and portray him as a ‘leader’. However, in his bid to shore up his declining fortunes, Munir has caused significant harm to the common Kashmiris, for whom he claims to advocate, as the booming tourism industry in Kashmir has virtually collapsed following the Pahalgam massacre.
Similarly, the measures India is expected to take in the wake of the terror attack will likely impact ordinary Pakistanis the most, rather than the wealthy generals. Earlier this week, Indian officials ordered all Pakistani nationals with valid visas, including those seeking medical treatment, to leave the country.
Munir was appointed COAS in November 2022, with an expected retirement date of November 29, 2025. However, in November last year, Pakistan’s Parliament amended the Pakistan Army Act of 1952, extending the tenure of armed forces chiefs (including the COAS) from three to five years and removing the retirement age limit of 64 for four-star generals, thereby extending Munir’s tenure until November 2027.
Imran Khan was ousted as Prime Minister of Pakistan in April 2022 following a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly. At that time, Munir held the position of Corps Commander Gujranwala in the Pakistan Army. He had served as Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (DG-ISI) from October 2018 to June 2019, under Khan’s premiership. He was later removed from this post at Khan’s insistence.
According to another assessment by officials, Munir’s support remains extremely low following the Pahalgam massacre, which occurred just hours after his “crude” speech emphasising Hindu-Muslim differences. For decades, the Pakistan Army was viewed by its people as a saviour against a corrupt political class. However, that sentiment no longer holds, according to the assessment.