Islamabad. These days, Pakistan is facing the most serious constitutional and institutional crisis in its history. Current Army Chief General Asim Munir’s original tenure of three years has ended on November 29, 2025, but Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is yet to sign the notification appointing him as the country’s first Chief of Defense Staff (CDF). For this they are deliberately camping abroad.
Tilak Devasher, a security affairs expert and former National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) member of India, said that as the date of November 29 approached, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif first went to Bahrain and then to London. Their intention is clear – they want to avoid signing the notification giving five-year extension to Asim Munir. This strategy is so obvious that it is being seen as open rebellion in Pakistani political circles. Due to non-issuance of notification, an unprecedented situation has arisen in Pakistan. Technically, the country does not have a statutory army chief after November 29. The most serious thing is that the Nuclear Command Authority is also currently without a chief, as the new ‘Strategic Forces Command’ structure was also linked to this notification. For a nuclear weapon state, this situation is not only strange but also extremely dangerous.
According to the Pakistan Army Act amendment passed in 2024, now the tenure of the Army Chief will be equal to that of the CDF i.e. five years. But legal experts are divided on whether the new notification is mandatory or the old amendment came into force automatically. Some analysts say that due to the ‘deemed clause’ included in the amendment, Asim Munir’s tenure has automatically become five years and he has got an automatic extension of two years. The other opinion is that this provision cannot be implemented without a new notification signed by the Prime Minister. This dispute is now likely to go to court.
According to sources, there is unusual activity in Army Headquarters Rawalpindi these days. Several senior Lieutenant Generals have become active in the race to become the new Army Chief or to be appointed to the two newly created four-star posts. If the notification is not issued soon, the possibility of an open power struggle within the army cannot be ruled out. The Prime Minister’s long foreign trip has deepened this crisis. Tilak Devasher has warned that this situation cannot continue for long. A nuclear powered country cannot be run without an army chief and nuclear command chain. Speculation has increased due to the silence of the government and lack of clear statement on the notification. Every passing day is increasing instability in the political and military structure of Pakistan. At present, the eyes of the entire country are fixed on when the Prime Minister returns from London and whether he signs the notification to decide the future of Asim Munir or not. This crisis has become a serious challenge not only for the unity of the Pakistani Army but also for the security system of the entire country.