Pakistan genral asim munir power: In 2023, when violent protests started after the arrest of Imran Khan in Pakistan, General Aseem Munir has become a symbol of army and power. General Munir’s public image has been a strict and strategic military officer, but his popularity has also declined, especially in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regions. Now this decision of the Pakistani Supreme Court has given a new life to his falling grip. The decision pronounced on 7 May 2025 allows the military establishment not only to prosecute citizens, but can also weaken the roots of democracy.

The seven-member constitutional bench of the Supreme Court pronounced a 5–2 majority that on May 9, 2023, citizens involved in the attack on military bases could be prosecuted in military courts. Earlier in 2023, another bench declared this process unconstitutional. This decision seems to be contrary to the spirit of civilian freedom of the Pakistani Constitution, but this decision of the court also reflects how complicated and dense the relations between the military establishment and the judiciary.

PTI reaction and democracy erosion
Imran Khan’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has strongly criticized this decision. Party leaders have described it as a “armed decision” which gives General Munir a constitutional medium to suppress disagreement. Sindh’s PTI chief Haleem Adil Sheikh specifically questioned the time of the decision, calling it an attempt to hide injustice amidst the situation like a war.

International response and human rights organizations warns
Reena Omar of the International Commission of Justice (ICJ) called the decision a terrible “, although he admitted that it was already expected. He expressed deep concern over the militarization of justice by the judiciary. Human rights organizations believe that through this decision, Pakistan is making a military system against its own citizens which is far away from transit and impartial.