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Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir to be president? Buzz grows around Zardari's likely replacement
Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif has denied claims that Field Marshal Asim Munir may replace President Asif Ali Zardari.
A recent meeting between Pakistan’s top civilian and military leaders has reignited speculation about possible political changes, including rumours that the army chief Asim Munir may be eyeing the presidency.
This is the third time this month such speculation has surfaced. Last week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif dismissed claims that President Asif Ali Zardari could be removed and replaced by Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.
The latest round of speculation surfaced after Munir met Shehbaz Sharif at the PM House on Tuesday, shortly before the prime minister held a separate meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari, The Express Tribune reported.
These high-level meetings come amid growing rumours of a possible 27th constitutional amendment and talk that Zardari may step down for a successor, the report added.
Much of the speculation, largely driven by social media, centres on alleged behind-the-scenes efforts to shift Pakistan from a parliamentary to a presidential system of governance.
Defence minister Khawaja Asif dismissed the rumours as “unfounded” but confirmed that media reports about President Zardari’s possible resignation and a potential replacement by the army chief were discussed during his meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
He said the speculation appeared to have originated from a media report that was possibly withdrawn later.
Earlier, on July 11, Prime Minister Sharif had strongly rejected claims that Zardari might be forced to step down and that Field Marshal Asim Munir was aiming for the presidency, calling them “mere speculations.”
“Field Marshal Asim Munir has never expressed any desire to become the president, nor is there any such plan in the offing,” Sharif told The News.
His remarks came after interior minister Mohsin Naqvi, in a post on X on July 10, condemned what he called a “malicious campaign” targeting President Asif Ali Zardari, PM Sharif, and Munir. “We are fully aware of who is behind the malicious campaign,” said Naqvi, who is known to be close to the military leadership.
Defence minister denies rift between PML-N and PPP
The defence minister also rejected talk of tensions between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), following the Supreme Court’s ruling in the reserved seats case. “We will keep a united face,” he said. “We are not just partners in power but beyond,” he added.
After a split verdict in the 2024 general elections, the PPP had supported the PML-N in forming the central government.
Responding to a question on whether the proposed 27th constitutional amendment was still under discussion, Asif said there was no such deliberation at the moment.
However, he added that constitutional amendments were a legitimate part of the democratic process and had been used in the past as needed.
Asif also denied that any legislative matters were discussed during Tuesday’s meeting. “No legislative agenda was discussed during the meeting,” he said.
Following the meeting, the President’s Press Wing issued a statement saying that PM Sharif had met Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr in the presence of federal ministers Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Mohsin Naqvi and PM’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah.
The statement said the two leaders discussed the country’s political, economic and security situation. The Prime Minister briefed the President on the government’s economic policies, and both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to work together for national stability and prosperity.
With PTI inputs
