One of the main purposes of the promotion of Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir to the rank of field marshal seems to have been a declaration of victory. It also sent a strong signal to all three armed forces that their contribution during the recent Maraka-i-Haq encounter with India was appreciated. It was accompanied by an open-ended extension in service for the Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Zaheeruddin Babar Sidhu. However, the resonance of Field Marshal Munir’s promotion is far greater, for it acknowledges the particular role he played during the whole clash.
It also makes Field Marshal Munir only the second Pakistani officer, after Field Marshal Ayub Khan, to obtain this rank. However, unlike Ayub, who was himself President and CMLA, and thus gave himself the rank, Field Marshal Munir was promoted to the rank by an elected government.
It is thus worth comparing this promotion with that of the ones by the Indian government. First was the promotion of Field Marshal S.M.F.J. Manekshaw, which was made at the end of his three-year tenure at COAS, in 1973. His tenure as COAS had covered the 1971 War with Pakistan, as a result of which Bangladesh came into being. The second baton was conferred in 1983 on Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa, the first Indian-born Commander-in-Chief, 30 years after his tenure had come to an end. That was definitely an afterthought, and he had not achieved any considerable feat of arms in his tenure. Thus Field Marshal Munir’s promotion comes at a time when his appointment still has some time to run. It may be remembered that the tenure was extended from the original three years to five by an amendment in the Army Act, by which the tenure of the COAS was made five years, or age 60, whichever was earlier.
Promotions are one of the rewards received by military men after victory. Others are medals. It is expected that once the citations are sorted out, there will be an awards ceremony, where brave officers will receive gallantry awards for more substantial reasons than being shot down or having a cup of tea. It remains to be seen how India responds to the current promotion, which mocks its frantic claims that it actually did great damage in its own operations, though its government should not shower the rewards of victory on soldiers or airmen so badly defeated.
