Asim Munir Becomes Pakistan’s CDF – Is India Facing a Nuclear Threat? Experts Decode

Pakistan appoints Field Marshal Asim Munir as first Chief of Defence Forces, centralizing military power, controlling nuclear assets, and raising serious security threats for India and the region.

New Delhi: In a brazen move that underscores Pakistan’s longstanding penchant for military dominance over civilian authority, the Shehbaz Sharif government has formally appointed Field Marshal Asim Munir as the country’s first-ever Chief of Defence Forces (CDF). The appointment, approved by President Asif Ali Zardari, hands Munir unprecedented power over Pakistan’s Army, Navy, and Air Force for five years, making him more powerful than the country’s political leaders and judiciary combined.

Pakistan Moves Toward Military Autocracy

The creation of the CDF post, formalized last month under the 27th Constitutional Amendment, is a clear attempt to centralize power and bypass democratic accountability. By abolishing the Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) and placing Munir at the helm, Pakistan has effectively handed one man absolute control over its military and nuclear arsenal.

President Zardari confirmed the historic appointment on X, saying: “President Asif Ali Zardari approved the appointment of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir as COAS concurrently as CDF for 5 years.”

Munir’s promotion to Field Marshal, just days after the cessation of Operation Sindoor on May 20, makes him only the second officer in Pakistan’s history to hold this rank. The first was General Ayub Khan, whose tenure ended in a war with India in 1965. Pakistan, it seems, has learned nothing from history.

A Dire Warning for India

Experts warn that Munir’s unchecked authority poses a direct threat to India. Speaking exclusively to Asianet Newsable English, Major General Sudhakar Jee (Retd) sounded the alarm: 

“There will be direct kind of military rule taking place under the domain of Asim Munir. So, therefore, he can unleash any kind of violence act, without consulting or informing the civil government. Kargil Conflict of 1999 is a classic example.”

He further emphasized the dangers of nuclear mismanagement: “The nuclear command authority getting churned. In a Parliamentary democracy, it is headed by the prime minister, unfortunately, it has come under Field Marshal Asim Munir, which should give a strong signal to the world order to take cognizance of.”

Warning of complete impunity, Sudhakar Jee added: “Now, neither the Supreme Court would be there nor any existing organization would come to know what Munir is going to do? It will impact India because it will give absolute freedom of operation to unethical, unaccounted for activities by the military ruler which will entitle him to carry out objectionable activities in relation to the military, civil, constitution, politics, economy and other issues. Therefore, under the present circumstances it is very-very dangerous for India and world.”

Pakistan’s Dangerous Power Grab

Colonel Danivir Singh (Retd), a strategic affairs analyst, described Munir’s elevation as a historic centralization of military power with alarming consequences for regional security.

“For India, this is not just a bureaucratic reshuffle, it is a structural shift that places Pakistan’s Army, Navy, and Air Force under one decisive authority, with direct oversight of nuclear assets. The symbolism is stark, Munir now stands as the most powerful military figure since Ayub Khan, whose tenure culminated in the 1965 war with India,” Singh told Asianet Newsable English.

He added, “This centralization means faster military responses, sharper coordination in hybrid warfare, and a diminished role for Pakistan’s civilian leadership. For New Delhi, the message is clear – Pakistan’s defence posture is now more assertive, more centralized, and less restrained, demanding vigilance and strategic foresight in every engagement across the subcontinent.”

Regional Implications

The appointment of Munir as CDF signals Pakistan’s willingness to act unilaterally and recklessly in matters of defence and nuclear strategy. With direct authority over the military and nuclear arsenal, Munir can execute operations without accountability, raising serious security concerns for India and the broader region.

India must now prepare for a Pakistan that operates without restraint, where the line between civilian and military decision-making has all but vanished, and where regional stability is at risk from unilateral, unpredictable decisions.