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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi and Shah Meer Baloch in Islamabad

‘A king above all’: The rise and rise of Asim Munir, Pakistan’s increasingly powerful army chief

A man carries a portrait of Pakistani army chief General Asim Munir, during a supporters’ rally in Islamabad in 2025.
A man carries a portrait of Pakistani army chief General Asim Munir, during a supporters’ rally in Islamabad in 2025. Photograph: Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty Images

Since it was penned in 1973, Pakistan’s constitution has been dealt many blows. Originally a statement of democracy, it was just a matter of years before a pattern of endless constitutional amendments began, validating successive coups and military dictatorships.

Yet for the past 15 years, the constitution had – at least on the surface – returned Pakistan to some semblance of civilian rule. That was until last month.

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