The Pakistan Army has strongly denied reports on social media that its head, General Asim Munir, wants to become the future president of the country. The army’s answer came after weeks of false claims and rumors that Munir will take over for the current president, Asif Ali Zardari.
Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the army’s main spokesman, told The Economist that the army chief is not interested in the presidency and that no such suggestion is being explored. He was cited by state-run PTV on Wednesday as stating, “Talks about Field Marshal Asim Munir becoming the president of Pakistan are completely baseless.” The military’s media branch, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), made the same statement on July 10, calling the rumors a “malicious campaign.”
In May, General Munir was promoted to the unusual position of Field Marshal. He is only the second person in Pakistan’s history to possess a five-star rank. This promotion happened after a short fight with India and was largely perceived as an indication that the army leader was gaining more power.
In a country where the military has always had a lot of authority, people often wonder what its role is in civilian politics. The army spokesperson’s statement is meant to stop the current surge of false information and restate the military’s official position.