The Pakistan Precedent

Pakistan's 27th Constitutional Amendment entrenches military supremacy, subordinates the judiciary, centralises nuclear command and heightens risks for India and South Asia

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Munir's extended tenure turns Pakistan's nuclear posture into a personalised continuum rather than an institutional process

Pakistan's 27th Constitutional Amendment represents a watershed moment in the country's civil-military balance, codifying a structure of power that places Field Marshal Asim Munir at the apex of Pakistan's political, judicial, and strategic architecture.

Signed by President Asif Ali Zardari (November 13, 2025) after being rushed through both houses of Parliament with unprecedented speed, the amendment marks a decisive shift toward military absolutism, effectively erasing the already thin line existing between elected authority and the military establishment. For India and the broader South Asian region, this concentration of power in Pakistan's Army Chief will make the strategic environment of the region far more volatile and perilous.

Here, at the core of the 27th Amendment lies an institutional redesign that elevates the Army Chief to the position of Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), placing the Army, Navy, and Air Force under a single military commander. This restructuring also introduces a new Commander of the National Strategic Command, responsible for overseeing the country's nuclear and strategic assets, with the condition that the position must be filled by an Army officer recommended by the Army Chief. Most consequentially, the amendment grants lifelong legal immunity to five-star officers, effectively ensuring that Munir, only the second such officer in Pakistan's history after Ayub Khan, stands above any judicial scrutiny for the rest of his life. The amendment thus substantiates the long-held claim of Pakistan watchers worldwide that the Army does not serve the State of Pakistan, but the State of Pakistan serves the Army.