Pak Army Chief Gen Asim Munir Promoted to the Field Marshal Rank For Hiding in a Bunker For 3 Days
Ankit Gupta | May 21, 2025, 16:23 IST
Pakistan's promotion of Gen. Asim Munir to Field Marshal despite reported military setbacks has indeed been widely mocked and questioned, including by media, analysts, and the public—both within Pakistan and abroad. It reflects deeper issues in military dominance over civilian institutions, which has long been a concern in Pakistan's governance structure.
In what can only be described as a tragicomic chapter in Pakistan's long history of military excess, General Asim Munir—the current Chief of Army Staff—has been promoted to the ceremonial rank of Field Marshal. This grandiose title, historically reserved for military leaders of overwhelming success and stature, now decorates the uniform of a man under whose command Pakistan allegedly suffered a humiliating defeat in its latest military standoff with India. This is not just a farce. It is an insult—to reason, to truth, and to the very concept of accountability.
No credible international military analyst, journalist, or neutral observer believes Pakistan achieved anything resembling a victory in the recent skirmishes with India. If anything, Pakistan’s air defenses were exposed, its retaliatory capacity neutralized, and its narrative shattered under the weight of hard evidence presented by India. And yet, a promotion?
To understand this bizarre move, one must understand that the real battlefield in Pakistan isn't always along the LoC—it's between the military and democracy. The army isn’t just an institution in Pakistan; it is the de facto ruler, the puppet master pulling the strings of civilian governments. This promotion isn't about honoring battlefield valor—it is about consolidating power. Asim Munir’s elevation to Field Marshal is a reminder that in Pakistan, the rank of a general often carries more weight than the will of the people.
Pakistan's political theater has long been overshadowed by its military establishment. Civilian leaders are elected only to be humiliated, hanged, or exiled. From Ayub Khan to Zia-ul-Haq to Pervez Musharraf, military dictators have repeatedly sabotaged the democratic process. And now, even in times of supposed democratic governance, we see the same old patterns—military dominance dressed up as patriotic duty.
This latest promotion reeks of that same old decay. A reward for failure, cloaked in propaganda. It is reminiscent of the infamous tradition of authoritarian states where failure is decorated and dissent is silenced. While the world moves forward with transparency and civilian control, Pakistan continues to regress into a khaki-colored autocracy.
Asim Munir’s promotion won’t feed the hungry. It won’t reduce Pakistan’s spiraling inflation or restore faith in its collapsing rupee. It won’t improve the battered education system or fix its water crisis. It won’t make Balochistan peaceful, nor will it provide justice for the thousands of enforced disappearances the army is accused of.
And yet, a man who presided over a debacle—allegedly hiding in a bunker during the peak of the crisis—has been handed the nation’s highest military honor. If there was ever a measure of how broken a state’s priorities are, this is it.
This move should also worry India and the international community. It signals that Pakistan is not governed by logic or democratic accountability, but by ego, denial, and military arrogance. Rather than learn from strategic defeats, Pakistan's military is choosing to create false heroes. It is a nation in denial—armed with nuclear weapons and driven by narratives that ignore reality.
What message does this send to the region? That failure will be dressed as victory? That leaders can be rewarded not for performance but for proximity to power? This isn't just dangerous; it's delusional.
The promotion of Gen. Asim Munir is not just a political gimmick; it is a profound symptom of Pakistan’s institutional rot. It exposes the hollow core of a state that celebrates failure, where real heroes are silenced, and false ones are exalted with titles they have not earned.
Field Marshal Asim Munir? No. He is the Marshal of Myths, not of Military Might.
This is not just a mockery of military logic—it is a mockery of a nation’s future.
A Promotion Born Not of Victory, But of Vanity
Beaten and humiliated in Operation Sindoor, Pakistan promotes Army Chief Asim Munir to Field Marshal for 'securing country'
( Image credit : IANS )
No credible international military analyst, journalist, or neutral observer believes Pakistan achieved anything resembling a victory in the recent skirmishes with India. If anything, Pakistan’s air defenses were exposed, its retaliatory capacity neutralized, and its narrative shattered under the weight of hard evidence presented by India. And yet, a promotion?
To understand this bizarre move, one must understand that the real battlefield in Pakistan isn't always along the LoC—it's between the military and democracy. The army isn’t just an institution in Pakistan; it is the de facto ruler, the puppet master pulling the strings of civilian governments. This promotion isn't about honoring battlefield valor—it is about consolidating power. Asim Munir’s elevation to Field Marshal is a reminder that in Pakistan, the rank of a general often carries more weight than the will of the people.
The Military: Pakistan’s Real Government
Asim Munir effectively handed himself the title of Field Marshal
Pakistan's political theater has long been overshadowed by its military establishment. Civilian leaders are elected only to be humiliated, hanged, or exiled. From Ayub Khan to Zia-ul-Haq to Pervez Musharraf, military dictators have repeatedly sabotaged the democratic process. And now, even in times of supposed democratic governance, we see the same old patterns—military dominance dressed up as patriotic duty.
This latest promotion reeks of that same old decay. A reward for failure, cloaked in propaganda. It is reminiscent of the infamous tradition of authoritarian states where failure is decorated and dissent is silenced. While the world moves forward with transparency and civilian control, Pakistan continues to regress into a khaki-colored autocracy.
The People Pay the Price
And yet, a man who presided over a debacle—allegedly hiding in a bunker during the peak of the crisis—has been handed the nation’s highest military honor. If there was ever a measure of how broken a state’s priorities are, this is it.
A Dangerous Signal to the Region
Jihadi General
This move should also worry India and the international community. It signals that Pakistan is not governed by logic or democratic accountability, but by ego, denial, and military arrogance. Rather than learn from strategic defeats, Pakistan's military is choosing to create false heroes. It is a nation in denial—armed with nuclear weapons and driven by narratives that ignore reality.
What message does this send to the region? That failure will be dressed as victory? That leaders can be rewarded not for performance but for proximity to power? This isn't just dangerous; it's delusional.
The Emperor Has No Uniform—Just Medals
Field Marshal Asim Munir? No. He is the Marshal of Myths, not of Military Might.
This is not just a mockery of military logic—it is a mockery of a nation’s future.