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Asim Munir Dispatches Pakistani Troops to Saudi Arabia Without Parliamentary Approval
M
Moneycontrol•08-10-2026, 17:09
Asim Munir Dispatches Pakistani Troops to Saudi Arabia Without Parliamentary Approval
- •Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir deployed thousands of troops to Saudi Arabia without seeking parliamentary approval, enabled by new constitutional powers granting him control over all three services until 2030 and lifetime immunity from prosecution.
- •South Asia analyst Michael Kugelman noted that Pakistan has entered a new era where the military no longer needs parliamentary votes to dispatch troops abroad, contrasting with a 2015 decision where parliament voted to stay neutral in the Yemen campaign.
- •Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, director general of Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations, confirmed that Pakistani forces are already present in Saudi Arabia across multiple capabilities and domains.
- •The deployment follows the first-ever invocation of the Mecca defence pact signed in August by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, as the kingdom faces escalating attacks from Yemen-based Houthi rebels.
- •Experts warn that while the expanded powers reflect strong trust between the military and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government, the lack of institutional checks leaves Pakistan vulnerable to long-term commitments with weak correction mechanisms.
Key Questions Answered
Constitutional changes enacted last year granted Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, expanded powers making him in charge of all three services until 2030 with lifetime immunity from prosecution, bypassing the need for parliamentary votes.
The Mecca defence pact was invoked for the first time since being signed in August as Saudi Arabia faced escalating attacks from Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis.
In 2015, the Pakistani government moved a motion to Parliament regarding a Saudi request for troops, resulting in a unanimous vote to stay neutral, whereas under Asim Munir's expanded powers, troops have been sent without parliamentary approval.
