Pakistan's Army Chief Gets More Power Amid War: SC Gives Special Rights to Asim Munir

Islamabad: Army Chief Asim Munir may have pushed Pakistan into a war with India, but the Supreme Court has further increased his status in Pakistan. The Pakistani Supreme Court, while giving a historic verdict, has approved the trial of civilians in Pakistan's military courts. After which the Pakistani Army has got the open right to prosecute common citizens in military courts. That is, the Pakistan Army, which has already crushed the country's democracy, has got more rights. With this decision of the Supreme Court, Asim Munir has become even more powerful and this is a big blow for Imran Khan.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan, while giving a verdict on May 7, has rejected the petition challenging the decisions against common citizens in military courts. In the petition, the trials against common citizens in military courts were termed 'unconstitutional'. According to the report of news agency PTI, the constitutional bench of the apex court of Islamabad, while giving its verdict, has cleared the way for military prosecution against Imran Khan's supporters involved in anti-army protests on 9 May 2023.

Asim Munir became more powerful in Pakistan

Let us tell you that millions of supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rioted on 9 May 2023 after the arrest of former Prime Minister and party chief Imran Khan. During this, Imran Khan's supporters also attacked military bases and vandalized them. After which the Pakistan Army arrested more than 1000 supporters of Imran Khan. News agency Reuters reported in 2024 that PTI had alleged that hundreds of party members were forcibly picked up without any evidence. The army court started giving verdicts against them in 2 to 4 days and very strict punishments started being given. Many supporters of Imran Khan have been sentenced to life imprisonment.

A seven-member constitutional bench headed by Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan of the Pakistan Supreme Court has overturned the earlier decision of the Supreme Court in October 2023. That is, Pakistan has become a country where the Supreme Court overturns its own decision after a few months, which it decides a few months ago. During that time, another constitutional bench had ruled against the trial of civilians in a military court and termed it unconstitutional.