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Pakistan’s fragile hybrid political system, where civilian authority coexists uneasily with military supremacy, is inching toward a decisive phase. The proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment, reportedly backed by the Pakistan Army, threatens to formalise what has long been informal: complete military dominance over the state.
At the heart of the amendment lies Article 243A’s recasting, which would strip the federal government of control over the armed forces and vest it directly in the Chief of the Army. Under the new framework, Gen. Asim Munir would not only remain Chief of Army Staff (COAS) but also assume the newly created office of Chief of Defence Forces (CDF). This position places the Navy and Air Force firmly under the command of the Army.
“One Chief to Rule Them All”
The proposed changes effectively dismantle the post of Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), which has long been a ceremonial but symbolically important check on unilateral army control. The abolition of this office on 27 November 2025, coinciding with the retirement of the current CJCSC Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza, marks the final nail in the coffin of any institutional façade of jointness within Pakistan’s armed forces.
“The new rules will promote individual interests, not combat capabilities of Pakistan’s armed forces,” observed Gen Ved Prakash Malik, former Indian Army Chief, reacting to the amendment’s leaked draft on X (Twitter).
Pakistani military analyst Ayesha Siddiqa warns the move represents “a de facto takeover of all three services by the army chief.” As she notes, “From the law ministry’s draft, it seems the army chief will take over CJCSC with a new title of CDF. It also looks like Munir is making de facto control of three services de jure, which could be operationally and bureaucratically complicated.”
Institutional Capture in Uniform
The army’s grip on governance in Pakistan is hardly new. What distinguishes this moment is its constitutional entrenchment. Once passed, the amendment would not merely strengthen the military’s hand; it would make civilian correction mechanisms almost impossible.
The CDF would hold operational command, bureaucratic authority, and control over defence policy, all under a single office.
The National Strategic Command, which oversees Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, would also come under the exclusive control of the army. It effectively sidelines the National Command Authority, which, at least nominally, ensured an inter-service balance and civilian oversight of nuclear assets.
Analysts see this as the “Sudanisation” of Pakistan’s power structure, a reference to the fusion of military command and state governance that plunged Sudan into chronic instability. The emerging arrangement blurs any remaining distinction between military administration and political sovereignty, placing Gen Munir at the centre of both.
Field Marshal for Life
Perhaps the most controversial provision is the lifetime immunity granted to officers elevated to the five-star rank of Field Marshal, Marshal of the Air Force, or Admiral of the Fleet. These officers will “retain rank, privileges, and remain in uniform for life,” enjoying protections comparable to the President under Article 248.
Critics view this as a personalised clause designed to cement Gen Munir’s authority. “Creating lifetime immunities for military officers upends the very idea of civilian supremacy,” Gen Ved Malik remarked, comparing it to a “return to the British-era Commander-in-Chief model.”
Pakistani analyst adds that such legal insulation could “turn Pakistan’s army chief into a constitutional monarch,” creating “a military-led presidency without elections.”
Operational Fallout and Civil-Military Consequences
By abolishing the CJCSC, the amendment eliminates a four-star slot that often served as a pressure-release valve for senior officers bypassed for the army chief. It also risks alienating the Air Force and Navy, which have long resisted subordination under Army command.
“This arrangement could fuel inter-service resentments and affect morale,” warns another analyst. “Operationally, it places too much on one table and too little oversight around it.”
Moreover, by concentrating nuclear command in one service, Pakistan risks eroding the layered safeguards built into its deterrence architecture. Civilian oversight, which was already nominal, will now be constitutionally erased.
From Hybrid Regime to Military Monarchy
For decades, Pakistan’s “hybrid system” balanced democratic appearance with military dominance. With the 27th Amendment, that balance may collapse entirely. As one viral post on X put it, “The 27th Amendment turns Pakistan into a uniformed monarchy. From behind-the-scenes control to full constitutional power, Pakistan’s generals just wrote their victory speech.”
The implications go beyond internal politics. A Pakistan where the army chief is constitutionally supreme over all institutions, including the civilian government, will be harder for democratic allies to engage with credibly.
In the words of a military veteran, “This is not reform; it’s regression dressed up as coordination.”
If passed, the amendment will mark a historic moment: the first constitutional coup in Pakistan’s troubled political history, one not brought about by tanks on the streets, but by a pen on the Constitution.
Ravi Shankar
Dr Ravi Shankar has over two decades of experience in communications, print journalism, electronic media, documentary film making and new media.
He makes regular appearances on national television news channels as a commentator and analyst on current and political affairs. Apart from being an acknowledged Journalist, he has been a passionate newsroom manager bringing a wide range of journalistic experience from past associations with India’s leading media conglomerates (Times of India group and India Today group) and had led global news-gathering operations at world’s biggest multimedia news agency- ANI-Reuters. He has covered Parliament extensively over the past several years. Widely traveled, he has covered several summits as part of media delegation accompanying the Indian President, Vice President, Prime Minister, External Affairs Minister and Finance Minister across Asia, Africa and Europe.
