After the 27th amendment to Pakistan’s Constitution, Field Marshal Asim Munir has effectively become a “dictator.” Following the amendment, Munir was elevated to Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), while the post of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) was abolished. This indicates that he will have control over all three forces, strategic plans, and nuclear facilities.
After witnessing defeat during Operation Sindoor in May, Pakistan had completely failed to withstand India’s attack. Now, Pakistan has handed over all commands to Asim Munir, including the defence budget, management of defence resources, and emergency procurement of defence equipment.
In Pakistan, the amendment to the Constitution has significantly impacted its nuclear structure. With the establishment of the National Strategic Command, the ‘Nuclear Manager’ was previously under the CJCSC, but now Asim Munir will take control of it. The prime minister will appoint a person to this role based on the CDF’s recommendation.
This is the first major restructuring since 2000, when all three forces were part of the strategic command and were coordinated through the SPD. Now, the commander of the NSC will directly report to the CDF, who is also overseeing the establishment of the new Army Rocket Force Command (ARFC).
After the four-day conflict with India in May 2025, Pakistan formed a Rocket Force aimed at enabling the rapid launch of long-range missiles. The objective of the ARFC is to use long-range missiles in a manner similar to Iran, so that the situation does not escalate into a nuclear war. This indicates that Pakistan now wants to reduce its dependence on tactical nuclear weapons and invest more in modern missile capabilities.
The new amendment also suggests that the COAS-CDF will have direct control over missile and nuclear weapons. Earlier, there were reservations and overlaps between the CJCSC, SPD, and the strategic units of all three forces, which led to delays in the decision-making process. Under the new system, the Pakistan Army will be in a position to take swift decisions.
