At the height of rampant speculation of possible elevation to the Presidency, reports say Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir has quite firmly declared that he does not seek political goals. At Brussels, paused in transit after a US visit, Munir said, as quoted by senior journalist Suhail Warraich of Daily Jang, that his only commitment is to the nation in uniform.
As reported by Warraich, the army chief delivered this speech to a private audience at Brussels: “God has made me the protector of the country. I do not seek any position beyond this. I am a soldier, and my greatest aspiration is martyrdom.”
Regional Security and Balance of Power
Munir dealt with immediate regional challenges, including a warning to India against destabilization of Pakistan through proxies and a caution to Afghanistan not to allow any militant spillover into Pakistani territory.
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He observed Islamabad’s careful balancing act between ties with the US and China: “We will not sacrifice one friend for the other.”
Continued Speculation About the Presidency
Pakistan’s political history has been marred by military interventions and coups, which sometimes fuel whispers about potential political ambitions of the army chief. But these recent speculations linked Munir to the presidency which he was believed to scoop after Asif Ali Zardari given the elevation to Field Marshal-an honorary rank previously held by Ayub Khan, who later captured power.
Further Fuelling these speculations were his high-profile trips abroad during which he was reportedly seen meeting other world leaders. However, Munir vehemently denied all the accusations during his Brussels interaction, saying that they were not the affairs of civilian government or senior military institutions, but caused by “elements opposed to both the state and government” looking to instigate political turmoil.
A Vision for Pakistan’s Future
In addition to rejecting any pretensions towards politics, he also seemingly left some vision on a future roadmap for Pakistan, pointing out that the country setons huge wealth in minerals but is yet to put them to full use. The rare earth reserves could, were they extracted well enough, lessen the entire debt burden on Pakistan and herald it among the world’s richer economies.
Then again, as rumor mills speculate around transitions in leadership, Munir in his latest remark signals that he is conversant as guardian of the state rather than the aspiring candidate for political office. However, whether such assurances can silence speculation remains uncertain in a country where military influence has historically extended far beyond the barracks.
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