Asim Munir’s Expanding Power In Pakistan: What ‘Hire, Fire And Retire’ Means

Pakistan's National Assembly on Thursday passed two bills related to the military and nuclear command structure to streamline changes in the military hierarchy in the wake of last year's 27th constitutional amendment. The amendment introduced the office of Chief of Defence Forces by abolishing the office of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. The position of CDF is concurrently held by the Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, PTI reported.

What Powers Does Asim Munir Have As Pakistan’s CDF?

According to the draft, the proposed act will enable the establishment of the Defence Forces Headquarters, which shall serve as the headquarters of the Armed Forces. It added that the headquarters will be under the command of the CDF, who will be the “principal military advisor” to the prime minister on national security, defence and all matters relating to the armed forces.

The CDF would have the operational command and control of the Armed Forces and would be “responsible” to the federal government for matters of command and control. Outlining the power and functions of the CDF, the draft stated that the CDF “shall exercise such powers and perform such functions as are necessary for multi-domain integration, operational cohesion, coordination and oversight of all matters which have joint, tri-services and strategic implications for the Armed Forces and national security of Pakistan”.

What Does ‘Hire, Fire And Retire’ Power Mean?

The draft says that the CDF has the authority to “retire, release, accept, or reject resignation of, or discharge from service, or retain in service, or relax age, or service limit of retirement” of those subject to the laws of the Armed Forces, but not those who were appointed under Article 243.

A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office after a federal cabinet meeting earlier in the day said the bills had been prepared in continuation of the tweaks made to the Constitution under the 27th amendment.

The Defence Forces Act, it said, “aims to determine the relevant administrative matters regarding the office of the Chief of Defence Forces and the Chief of Defence Forces Headquarters”. The amendments to the National Command Authority Act were described as “a necessary process” following the 27th Constitutional Amendment.

The amendment also introduced the post of Commander of the National Strategic Command (CNSC), a four-star office that oversees the operational integration of Pakistan’s strategic forces. Last month, Gen Syed Aamer Raza was promoted from the rank of lieutenant general and appointed as the first CNSC.

His elevation has prompted descriptions of Raza as Pakistan’s second-most powerful military figure after Field Marshal Asim Munir. That description, however, is better understood as an assessment of his position and responsibilities rather than a formally defined ranking. Munir remains Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff, while Raza now heads the country’s new strategic command structure.

The CNSC is intended to function as the unified operational headquarters for Pakistan’s strategic forces, bringing the Army, Navy and Air Force strategic commands under a single command structure. The National Command Authority, chaired by the prime minister, retains ultimate authority over nuclear policy and the employment of nuclear weapons.

That distinction is important. Raza is responsible for the operational command structure surrounding Pakistan’s strategic forces, but he does not independently decide when or whether Pakistan uses nuclear weapons.

His proximity to Munir is also clear. On July 27, shortly after taking charge, Raza met Munir at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. Munir congratulated him on assuming command.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif presented the bills -- the Defence Forces of Pakistan Act, 2026 and the amended National Command Authority Act, 2010 -- while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was present in the lower house of parliament.

What Does Munir’s Expanded Role Mean For Pakistan?

The draft further stated that the government and the CDF could issue instructions “from time to time” and amend rules and regulations to ensure the provisions of the proposed act. “Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, the CDF may exercise such other powers and perform such other functions as the Federal Government may prescribe,” it read.

In case any difficulty or inconsistency emerges, the proposed act added that the president may “by an order, remove such difficulty”. The bills need to be passed by the Senate before going to the president for approval in order to finally become a law.

This comes as Pakistan's National Assembly on Thursday passed two bills related to the military and nuclear command structure to streamline changes in the military hierarchy in the wake of last year's 27th constitutional amendment. The amendments to the National Command Authority Act were described as “a necessary process” following the 27th Constitutional Amendment.

The Dawn newspaper, which claimed to have seen the draft of the Defence Forces of Pakistan Act, stated that the bill was designed to introduce provisions to give effect to the chief of the defence forces’ role as the commander of the armed forces.