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By: Muhammad Asad Ullah Khan
The 27th constitutional amendment has brought about the most significant changes to the governance structure of the state since the 18th amendment. The amendments were passed by both houses of the parliament swiftly despite much hue and cry by the opposition. Amid the uproar over the clauses of the amendment that deals with judiciary, analysts have overlooked, what in my opinion is the most significant change to the military structure since the inception of Pakistan.
The changes to article 245 under the 27th amendment, include changing the title of Chief of Army Staff to Chief of Defence Forces. This change of title effectively consolidates the top command of the Tri-Services under a single commander. The change to the command structure of the Tri-Services is set to exponentially improve the synergy of Pakistan’s Armed Forces. It will reflect in any future wars or hostilities, as the three forces operate as a single unit. While India lacks this synergy and even the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff couldn’t fill the coordination void, Pakistan is set to gain yet another advantage over its adversary. The outcry by the Eastern neighbour in this regard, indicates the fear of ever-strong Armed Forces of Pakistan.
It must be made clear that these changes will not undermine the capabilities of Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan Navy to function as independent forces, as it would be detrimental to the objective of strengthening Pakistan’s defence posture. To the contrary, the 27th amendment entrusts the Army’s top commander with the overall national defence strategy and formalize his authority over the Tri-Services, which will enhance the operational synergy of the three forces, while each service maintains its tactical and operational independence.
Additionally, restarting the tenure of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir as the country’s first Chief of Defence Forces resulted in prolonging the era of much needed stability for Pakistan. In a country, hitherto devoid of political stability, the Army has been the only credible institution due to its professionalism and national backing. This credibility is reflected in the diplomatic role of the Army, most actively played by the incumbent Chief of Defence Forces, who has been instrumental in restoring the image of Pakistan. Foreign actors are only assured in their dealings with Pakistan when the military leadership is involved.
The value of services of Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, was most critically felt during the recent hostilities with India. In response to Indian aggression, under his leadership Pakistan’s military machine brought the numerically stronger enemy to its knees in less than a hundred hours. The victory not only reinforced Pakistan’s status as one of the strongest military powers in the world, it also projected Pakistan as a responsible nuclear state capable of dealing with conventional threats through conventional means.
On the economic front, the Field Marshal has led the way to economic rejuvenation of the country through initiatives such as SIFC. By being at the forefront of Pakistan’s international engagements, he has been able to restore invertors confidence in the country as reflected by global interest in several sectors of Pakistan’s economy, including rare earth minerals. While some may argue that it is not the job of a military commander to take interest in economic and diplomatic affairs of a country, unfortunately when the political leadership leaves a void, someone has to fill it. Pakistan Army leadership has had to be involved in the foreign and economic affairs of the country, besides ensuring the defence and sovereignty of the nation, as it is the only credible federal institution; and defence, foreign affairs and economy are the functions of the federation. While any political government has been unable to behave maturely and represent the whole of Pakistan, the responsibilities inadvertently fell upon the military. Moreover, economic and diplomatic weakness indubitably undermine the defence posture of a country. Pakistan has a hostile neighbour on its eastern front that spends 8 times more on its military and the recent clashes with Afghan Taliban have made it clear that Pakistan don’t have a friend on its Western front either. Being sandwiched between two hostile neighbours, Pakistan could no longer afford instability and economic weakness at a time of global power plays. With this backdrop, the 27th amendment, particularly the clauses affecting Armed Forces’ command structure, was a need of the time. The amendments herald a new era of stability and strength for the country.
The author is a professional researcher based in Islamabad, with a keen interest in the matters of policy, defence and security.
