Sacked by Imran Khan, now Trump’s ‘favourite’: How Asim Munir returned to power

A new report is highlighting how Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir returned to power after being sacked by Imran Khan as Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief.

The report by Dropsite News shows how Munir, who US President Donald Trump has called ‘my favourite Field Marshal’, fell out with Imran and returned to power in Pakistan.

The report is also bringing fresh attention to a leaked diplomatic cable from 2022 known as the ‘cipher’ in Pakistan. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan has long claimed that the cable shows the hand of a foreign power behind his ouster.

It also comes as Pakistan is attempting to position itself as a mediator between the United States and Iran.

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But what happened? What do we know?

Let’s take a closer look.

What happened?

According to the report by Dropsite News, it all began in 2019 when Munir was travelling with Imran to Iran. Munir at the time was ISI chief, while Imran was the Prime Minister of Pakistan. The two men were to meet top officials in Tehran, including those from the powerful Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Munir was said to be at odds with the Iranians over the insurgency in Balochistan. The outlet quoted a former Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf official as saying that Munir “used undiplomatic language in Iran and deviated from the strategy the Pakistani government had discussed internally prior to the trip”.

Imran then sacked Munir as ISI chief after a protest from leadership in Tehran. At the time, Munir had been chief of the ISI for just eight months. When then Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa prepared his list of successors, Munir did not make the cut.

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been held in jail since 2023. File image/Reuters

According to Moneycontrol, rumours also began making the rounds that Munir had confronted Imran over the conduct of his wife, Bushra Bibi. Munir reportedly claimed that Bibi was engaging in corruption and interfering with the affairs of state. However, Imran rejected these accusations, saying Munir was running a ‘vindictive campaign’ against his wife.

Munir’s sacking further inflamed tensions between the Pakistani establishment and Imran. The Economist quoted one of Imran’s cabinet ministers as saying that Bajwa too was upset by Bibi being “obstructive” and claimed that Khan “listened to her more than him”. He also claimed that Bibi was involved in “black magic”.

The ‘cipher’

This relates to a March 2022 meeting between Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington, Asad Majeed Khan, and US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu. As per the cable, Lu told Khan “all will be forgiven” between Washington and Islamabad if Imran were removed from office in a no-confidence vote.

Then, in April 2022, just weeks after the cable, Imran was removed from office in a historic no-confidence vote – the first time a Pakistani prime minister had been deposed in this manner in the country’s history. This was widely thought to have been done with the tacit backing of the Pakistani Army. Imran and his PTI party were banned and stopped from contesting elections. Imran and his wife were arrested in several cases of corruption, contempt and national security. They were sent to jail and remain imprisoned to this day.

As per Moneycontrol, Imran has claimed that he can “prove some generals were behind a plot to kill him”. He also alleged that Munir was “petrified of being sacked if the PTI came back to power” and was “dismantling the future of this country to protect himself”.

The return of Munir

Imran being removed from office cleared the way for Munir’s return. In November 2022, when Bajwa retired, it was Munir who was appointed as the Pakistani army chief.

According to the Dropsite News report, Pakistan quickly began delivering artillery shells and other munitions to Ukraine – which it had refused to do earlier. The outlet quoted documents as showing that the weapons were sent via US defence contractors and third-country intermediaries.

Pakistan's former Army Chief of Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa. Reuters

It quoted former US and Pakistani officials as saying that America had linked its support for Pakistan’s next International Monetary Fund programme to the continued flow of weapons from Islamabad to Kyiv. In July 2023, the IMF approved a $3 billion (Rs. 288.60 billion) standby arrangement for Pakistan.

Munir, in the aftermath of his return, quickly consolidated power. He is only the second person to rise to the position of Field Marshal in Pakistan, after Ayub Khan. Today, he is widely regarded as the most powerful figure in the country. Pakistan under Munir has charted a closer course with the White House than it did when Imran was in power, resetting ties and partnering with Washington on rare earths and cryptocurrency.

What US and Pakistan are saying

However, it must be noted that US officials have categorically denied Imran’s claims that they were behind his ouster. The Pakistani military has distanced itself from Imran’s allegations and denied that it played a political role in ousting him. According to the website, Trump has asked Munir to ‘resolve’ the allegations against Imran.

While it remains to be seen what Trump’s ‘favourite Field Marshal’ will do about Imran, Islamabad has been attempting to portray itself as an impartial negotiator between Iran and the US.

“Pakistan is trying to maximise strategic flexibility,” Michael Kugelman, a Washington-based South Asia analyst, told AmericanBazaarOnline.com. “But balancing all sides becomes increasingly difficult as regional tensions intensify.”

FAQs

1. What is the ‘cipher’ in Pakistan?

The ‘cipher’ refers to a leaked 2022 diplomatic cable from Pakistan’s embassy in Washington that recorded a conversation with a US official expressing dissatisfaction with Imran Khan’s government.

2. Why was Munir removed as ISI chief?

According to reports cited by Drop Site News, Munir was removed in 2019 after Iranian leadership complained to Imran Khan.

3. How did Munir return to power?

Imran being removed from office cleared the way for Munir’s return. In November 2022, when Bajwa retired, it was Munir who was appointed as the Pakistani army chief.

With inputs from agencies