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Pakistan’s powerful army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir faces a major test as the United States presses Islamabad to consider contributing troops to President Donald Trump’s Gaza stabilisation plan.

Sources say Munir is expected to travel to Washington soon for talks with Trump, where the proposed multinational force for Gaza will be a key focus. The plan has raised concerns within Pakistan, with analysts warning it could trigger backlash from Islamist groups and political rivals at home.

Munir’s growing authority, close ties with Washington and Pakistan’s military capability place him at the centre of a delicate geopolitical decision with high domestic and regional stakes.

#Pakistan #AsimMunir #Trump

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00:00If the Pakistanis decline to be a part of this mission,
00:28then that might disappoint Trump.
00:30And that could be a problem for Pakistan,
00:32given that it's very clear that Asim Mounir,
00:35not just Asim Mounir,
00:36but I'd say the civilian and military leadership on the whole,
00:39are very keen for the U.S. to invest in Pakistan
00:43and to provide security assistance,
00:46which has largely been suspended for some time.
00:49And I think that if Pakistan declines to participate
00:52in the stabilization mission,
00:54that could disappoint Trump.
00:55And he may not,
00:56there is that risk that it could prompt him to pull back a bit
00:59and not be as inclined to work with Pakistan
01:02on some of these issues that have been discussed
01:04in recent diplomatic engagements.
01:26Trump is interested in Pakistan military's engagement,
01:30I think partly because Pakistan military seems willing to engage,
01:36provided there is support and cover from Saudi Arabia
01:40and other Middle Eastern partners are there.
01:45Trump is also happy for that engagement
01:48because he looks at Pakistan military's capability,
01:53institutional capability,
01:54and knows that, you know, they can fight.
01:58There is a risk of religious hardliners reacting negatively.
02:22It's very clear that groups like TLP and others
02:26are very opposed to Israel on the whole
02:31and to its policies in Gaza and so on.
02:34So if Asim Munir deploys troops to Gaza,
02:37it'll be very clear to these religious hardliners
02:39that this means a level of engagement with Israel.
02:42They'll be very unhappy,
02:44and I do fear that they could take to the streets.
02:45Pakistan has sought to weaken TLP by banning it recently
02:52and making it difficult to protest,
02:54but I think a decision like this could actually lead
02:56to a pretty significant mobilization in theory,
02:59which could make it more difficult
03:01for Pakistani security forces to put down
03:06or to limit these mobilizations.
03:09You know, it could lead to violence,
03:10which is not what I think the military would like to see.
03:15Fight!
03:45We've seen what I would argue to be unprecedented changes
03:50to Pakistan's constitution
03:51that have resulted in what could best be described
03:55as the unbridled power of Asim Munir.
03:58And I think that it would be hard to imagine
04:02any time in Pakistan's history
04:05when you had an individual leader,
04:07an individual military leader with this type of clout
04:15that was able to change in a position in the future.
04:17And that was the one way to practice.
04:18So, I mean, that it was just me that it was a very important thing
04:20that you did not want to think about.
04:22I was afraid that you were a person in that position
04:23that was supposed to lock the screen
04:25that was only able to carry out
04:26to the front of the point.
04:26And I think that it was a reason
04:27that for you to push back into that position,
04:29you know, like the one way to do,
04:31you know, like the one way to do,
04:32you know, like the two feet of a foot
04:35of a footbed side of the footbed side
04:36that you might even know
04:37that you could make it easier
04:39but you can do if you leave it
04:40and increase it really well in the right
04:41that you know, like the one way
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