Why Gen Asim Munir’s rank as Field Marshal raises eyebrows

THERE is a Field Marshal in Pakistan. This is not a routine rank. It is the highest military rank in most armies and it is rare, awarded sparingly. In the military tradition, the rank of Field Marshal is conferred for war-time victories.So, the legitimate question is: for what victory was Gen Asim Munir, the Pakistan army chief, elevated for? Or, would he go down in history as being the only general elevated to this rank after a military defeat?Pakistan has had one other instance of a Field Marshal — Ayub Khan, who had staged a coup against his benefactor Iskander Mirza in 1958.In 1959, Ayub elevated himself as Field Marshal. The difference with Munir is that while Ayub had relinquished the post of C-in-C after his coup, and given it to Gen Muhammad Musa, Munir is still serving as army chief and is likely to continue for some time.There is an interesting anecdote about Ayub elevating himself to that rank. Jamsheed Marker in his book, Cover Point: Impressions of Leadership in Pakistan, speculates that this could have been motivated by a Punjab regimental ceremonial march-past in 1959. This was led by Field Marshal Auchinleck, the former C-in-C of the Indian Army before the Partition and Supreme Commander of the Indian and Pakistani armies immediately afterwards. Auchinleck was the Honorary Colonel Commandant of the Punjab regiment. During the march-past, Auchinleck raised his Field Marshal's baton in salute whilst Ayub Khan, as a General, had to reply from the stand with a hand salute.This did not go down well with Ayub. After the parade, one of Ayub's aides borrowed Auchinleck's Field Marshal baton. It was duly copied and, subsequently, Ayub declared himself 'Field Marshal'. An angry Auchinleck later told Iskander Mirza in London, 'I earned my rank for my efforts in WW II against the Germans in the Middle East and the Japanese in Burma. What battle has Ayub won that he presumes to call himself a Field Marshal?"Fast-forward to today. If he were alive, Auchinleck would ask the same about Munir: "What battle have you won?" He would be aghast with the answer — None.So, why was Asim Munir promoted now?A bit of the background first. General Syed Asim Munir was appointed Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff in November 2022. Though the seniormost among the Lt Generals being considered for the top slot, Munir's appointment was controversial. He and his cohort were promoted as three-star generals in September 2018. While the other generals joined immediately and so retired in September 2022 (a Lt General has a four-year tenure), Munir did not join to pick up his rank till November 27. It was very unusual for an officer at that level to not pick up his rank immediately. Due to this, his retirement date became November 27, 2022, because promotions usually take effect from the date of assumption of command. This was just two days short of the retirement of his predecessor, but the tactic made him the seniormost among the Lt Generals to be considered for army chief.The cabinet had to issue a retention order under the Army Act allowing Munir to continue in service and take over as army chief on November 29 instead of retiring on the 27th. These technicalities embroiled Munir's appointment in controversies, so much so that supporters of Imran Khan refer to him as the retired General.General Munir became the first army chief hailing from Officers Training School, Mangla, rather than the 'regular' Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul. He was also the first army chief who served as Quarter Master General (QMG) and to have headed both Military Intelligence (MI) and the Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI). Rather than a fighting general, this made him a backroom intriguer and a manipulator.The terror attack in Pulwama in 2019 came on his watch as DG ISI and the attack in Pahalgam as army chief. Just before the Pahalgam atrocity, Munir was busy giving a communal speech about Islam and Hindu India, about the two-nation theory and Kashmir being Pakistan's jugular vein. This tells you a lot about the man.His stint as head of the ISI was brief. He ran into trouble with the then PM Imran Khan, who removed him in 2019. Munir never forgot or forgave the humiliation. Quite likely, the PMLN government of the Sharifs chose Munir as army chief due to his deep-seated animosity towards Imran Khan. The Sharifs and Munir have a common interest in opposing Imran Khan.Munir was elevated as Field Marshal just days after Pakistan suffered a defeat at the hands of India following the Pahalgam attack. As retribution for the dastardly attack, India struck back hard with Operation Sindoor. It entailed the following:— The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) was held in abeyance.— India struck deep inside Pakistan destroying nine terror HQs and camps— Pakistan's air defence systems were rendered ineffective.— Eleven air bases, including those hosting F-16s and nuclear assets, were damaged.In his wildest imagination, Munir perhaps could not have anticipated terror HQs and airbases being attacked in Punjab or the IWT being held in abeyance.So much so, that Pakistan was forced to show the white flag that it had had enough. It was not just a military defeat. It was a psychological one, too. The Pakistan army's aura of invincibility that it had sold to the public was shattered.But how do you sell this surrender to the people of Pakistan? How do you reassert control over domestic perception? Through what Pakistan does best — propaganda. Through creating a myth. Through distraction. Through optics.The elevation of Munir to Field Marshal was not about battlefield performance but about narrative-building and consolidation. You give the defeated General a baton and call him a Field Marshal. The elevation wasn't a reward for victory. It was a desperate attempt at damage control, like a sedative.Munir's promotion is, thus, a symptom of a deeper rot: Pakistan is a country where instead of accountability, promotions are handed out for defeat. Where the coveted rank of Field Marshal stands devalued.Among the continuing tragedies of Pakistan, Munir's promotion is the creation of another myth, like the myths created about 'victories' in the 1965, 1971 and 1999 wars with India.When history is written, it will be about how India struck terror factories in Pakistan and destroyed airbases. It won't be about a Field Marshal.Views are personalTilak Devasher is former member, National Security Advisory Board.

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