Pakistan’s Army chief general Asim Munir was on Tuesday promoted to the rank of field marshal for his apparent role in the recent conflict with India, making him the second senior military officer in Islamabad’s history to be elevated to the position.
According to an official statement, the decision to promote Munir was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Army general Ayub Khan was the first such officer to be elevated to Pakistan’s highest military rank in 1959.
“The Government of Pakistan has approved the promotion of Gen Asim Munir (Nishan-e-Imtiaz Military) to the rank of Field Marshal for ensuring the security of the country and defeating the enemy based on the high strategy and courageous leadership,” the prime minister’s office said.
Asim Munir trolled
Though his promotion was signed off on by the Pakistani government, netizens on social media are trolling Asim Munir for “promoting himself”. This is in reference to the military chief calling the shots in Pakistan through the public imagery of a PM and a government.
Users on X questioned his promotion and wondered how one gets elevated to such a position after losing in a conflict and getting the nation’s air bases “bombed”.
India had successfully thwarted Pakistan’s attempted military retaliation against the nation following Operation Sindoor. Indian armed forces and air defence systems took down majority of the drones and unarmed aerial vehicles.
‘Failed Marshal’
Asim Munir’s promotion comes just over a week after India and Pakistan reached a ceasefire understanding on May 10 to stop all military actions on land, sea, and air against each other.
“Asim Munir elevated himself to the rank of Field Marshal. Clown country,” quipped another.
Referring to reports that General Asim Munir had hidden in a bunker during the four-day cross-border fighting with India, one X user posted, “After his promotion Asim Munir is now entitled to get a bigger, more spacious bunker.”
One of the remarks on Munir’s elevation read, “Asim Munir has been actually promoted to “Failed Marshal” not “Field Marshal”. A failure can be promoted to this only.”
Some users posted a video clip of Bollywood actor Nana Patekar from a film, in which he offers pooja to himself in a mirror and appreciates himself. They compared the scene to that of Asim Munir “promoting himself to the rank of Field Marshal”.
In fact, singer Adnan Sami also took to X and shared a clip from an old Bollywood movie, mocking Asim Munir. The video clip shows a man giving a speech, to animals. He says, “I will protect the rights of all donkeys, animals with the power vested in me”.