Munir's magic: Lose a war, get a promotion

India Today

20-05-2025

Magic it must be, else, what really explains it? Just days after Pakistan's armed forces, under the command of army chief General Asim Munir, were dealt a humiliating blow by India, the warmongering Hafiz-e-Quran has been promoted to a Field Marshal. It's a move as symbolic as it is telling.But then again, Pakistan is a nation built on curious contradictions and such absurdities, which are no less than a miracle.advertisementBased on the fabricated narrative that Pakistan, with Munir's "high strategy and courageous leadership defeated India" in its Operation Bunyan al-Marsoos, the hybrid Rawalpindi-Islamabad regime is busy patting itself on the back and handing out congratulatory notes. Munir's promotion is a testament to the illusion.Pakistan's federal Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Tuesday, approved the promotion of Asim Munir from General to Field Marshal "for ensuring the security of the country and defeating the enemy based on the high strategy and courageous leadership of the Battle of Truth, Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos"."Gen Syed Asim Munir has promoted himself to Field Marshal," wrote UK-based social media influencer Imtiaz Mahmood on X.Experts also said that it was Munir who commanded that the civilian puppet regime promote him to the position of Field Marshal, a position redundant for decades. The last army chief to be promoted to the rank of Field Marshal was Ayub Khan. Until Munir's elevation, Khan remained Pakistan's only Field Marshal, having assumed the rank in 1965 during the Indo-Pak war.advertisement"Promoting Munir to Field Marshal just proves how helpless and useless Pakistan's government and civil administration are. He's doubling down on his narrative of victory and by elevating his position, tightening his grip and control on Pakistan. Musharraf 2.0 loading," said Major Manik M Jolly (Retired).Major Jolly captured the perception that Munir's promotion could be less about merit and more about consolidating power in a country where the military has overshadowed civilian governance.Munir's promotion at this juncture also shows how it could be an attempt to bolster the Hafiz-e-Quran's image as Pakistan's "great saviour", a narrative that was on explicit display during his anti-Hindu and anti-India rhetoric from the speech delivered days before the Pahalgam attack on April 22.The reality of Pakistan's Operation Bunyan al-Marsoos starkly contrasts Pakistan's claims of victory.India's Operation Sindoor was a precise and devastating response to the Pahalgam attack. Nine terror launch pads, including key ones in Bahawalpur and Muridke, were destroyed by Indian strikes, killing around 100 terrorists. India's strikes targeted terrorist groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, which the Pakistani deep-state has long been harbouring and using against India.Pakistan's retaliatory operation, far from achieving strategic success, saw its drones and missiles neutralised with India hitting back even harder.advertisementIn response to relentless Pakistani shelling and drone attacks across the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border, Indian forces hit critical Pakistani airbases, including Rafiqui, Murid, Nur Khan, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Chunian, Pasrur and Sialkot, with precision strikes on May 10.India made its intent clear by striking the Nur Khan air base, just a few kilometres from Pakistan's real power centre, GHQ Rawalpindi, and the seat of the symbolic civilian government in Islamabad. The farthest a Pakistani missile could get into India, in its attempt to hit Delhi, was a farm in Haryana.FIELD MARSHAL PROMOTION ASIM MUNIR'S ACT OF DESPERATIONFour days of mini-war with India revealed Pakistan's defensive posture and inability to match India's military prowess.This clearly exposes Munir's claims of a "historic victory" as hollow lies that the hybrid regime is propagating.Yes, Munir's elevation to Field Marshal is as symbolic as it is telling. It reflects the tricky position he is in.The de facto supremo of Pakistan had been facing eroding support, as a result of the country's economic struggles and political pushback from supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan.Munir, already operating from a position of disadvantage, had begun consolidating power by empowering military courts to try civilians, months after his tenure was quietly extended from three to five years.advertisementHis April 16 speech, invoking the Two-Nation Theory and targeting Hindus and India, was seen as a signal to terror proxies, escalating tensions that culminated in the Pahalgam attack.By manufacturing a war-like situation with India, Munir sought to rally domestic support and deflect criticism.Now, Munir's promotion, far from a reward for success, appears to be the military chief's desperate bid to project strength, where he is cementing his control while Pakistan is grappling with the fallout of his failed strategies.So yes, Munir's magic is losing a war, then getting a bigger crown. His rise to Field Marshal isn't for any military gain, but more about tightening his grip on a crumbling state. In Pakistan, the land of coups and contradictions, power does not flow from victory, but from the illusion of it.Tune InMust Watch