Imran Khan Slams General Munir’s Promotion, Suggests “King” Title Amid Rising Civil-Military Tensions

National Times Bureau, May 23, 2025: In a sharp rebuke from his prison cell, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has mocked the ceremonial promotion of Army Chief General Asim Munir to Field Marshal, suggesting he would have been better off crowning himself “King.” The biting criticism, delivered through Khan’s legal team and posted on social media, underscores the deepening civil-military divide in Pakistan.

Khan remarked, “Masha’Allah, General Asim Munir became a Field Marshal. It would have been better if he had given himself the title of King instead… because at present the law of the jungle is prevalent in the country and in the law of the jungle there is a king.”

This marks only the second time in Pakistan’s history that a serving general has been elevated to Field Marshal, the first being Ayub Khan in 1959. The promotion comes in the wake of General Munir’s role in the 2025 India-Pakistan conflict and his leadership during Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos, which the Pakistani government claims successfully repelled Indian aggression.

Khan’s sarcastic jibe reflects his ongoing struggle with the country’s powerful military establishment, which he has long accused of dominating civilian institutions and undermining democratic governance. His arrest and incarceration, which followed a series of confrontations with the judiciary and military, have not dulled his rhetoric.

In the same statement, Khan also warned of renewed Indian aggression, urging Pakistan to remain alert. “After the way our forces, especially the Air Force, have thwarted Modi’s ambitions, I am worried. That he will do more stupidity now, for which we as a nation should be prepared,” he said.

The statement not only reignites debate over military supremacy in Pakistan but also signals Khan’s continued political defiance from behind bars.