Pakistan Army chief planning to overthrow president? Rumors gain traction
What's the story
Speculation is rife that Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir is planning to overthrow the current president of Pakistan. The rumors started gaining traction after Munir in May was promoted to field marshal, a rank only previously held by General Ayub Khan, who promoted himself to the rank in 1959 after a military coup. After the coup, Khan became the president of Pakistan following the 1958 coup.
Coup speculation
Munir's rise to prominence amid India-Pakistan tensions
Munir's promotion to field marshal came days after Islamabad was battered in India's Operation Sindoor, a series of military strikes that were carried out by India in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack. After that, Munir headed to Washington to meet US President Donald Trump, unaccompanied by senior Pakistani civilian officials. Analysts say that Munir's meeting with Trump shows that he is gaining authority in the country and that something is about to change.
Power dynamics
Speculations about Munir's 'coup' plans
Pakistani journalist Ejaz Sayed suggested that efforts are already on to oust Zardari. "In my opinion, a lot of people want Asif Ali Zardari out. And for this work has begun," he said. Rumors of a coup have been further fueled by former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's comments about potentially extraditing "individuals of concern" to India if cooperation was shown by New Delhi.
Extradition controversy
Controversy surrounding Bhutto's comments
Zardari, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan People's Party, was responding to a question about extraditing Hafiz Saeed, the chief of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as possible good-faith gestures to India. In response, Hafiz Saeed's son Talha Saeed criticized Bhutto, calling him "not a true Muslim," and demanded an apology. Analysts suggest that the controversy may be a result of backdoor power deals and shifting political allegiances in Pakistan.
Coup history
Dates of past coups in Pakistan
The rumors of a coup come on the anniversary of General Zia's 1977 power grab against Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Before that, in 1958, President Iskander Mirza imposed martial law and made General Ayub Khan Chief Martial Law Administrator. Ayub later became Pakistan's first military ruler. In 1999, Army Chief Pervez Musharraf staged a bloodless coup and ruled until 2008, when Zardari took over as president.