Pakistan’s military spokesperson has categorically denied speculation that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir intends to become the country’s next president, calling such reports “nonsense” in a rare and firm clarification during an interview with The Economist.
ISLAMABAD – Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has strongly dismissed claims circulating in some political and media circles that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir plans to assume the presidency of Pakistan.
Speaking to The Economist, Lt Gen Chaudhry said, “Such talk is nonsense,” firmly putting to rest weeks of speculation regarding a possible presidential transition involving the military leadership.
The clarification comes on the heels of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s own statement last month, in which he labeled the rumours as “baseless” and asserted that neither President Asif Ali Zardari has been asked to resign, nor does Field Marshal Asim Munir harbour any such political ambition.
“Field Marshal Asim Munir has never expressed any desire to become the president, nor is there any such plan in the offing,” the prime minister had stated. “We [President Zardari, the COAS, and I] share mutual respect and a collective commitment to Pakistan’s progress.”
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, seen as close to the military establishment, also weighed in via his official social media account, terming the rumours a “malicious campaign” targeting the president, prime minister, and army chief. “We are fully aware of who is behind it,” Naqvi said, reaffirming that “no such discussion or plan exists.”
Pakistan Ready to Respond to Any Indian Aggression
In the same interview, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry issued a stern warning to India, stating that any future act of aggression would be met with an immediate and far-reaching response.
“We’ll start from the east,” he said. “They [India] also need to understand that they can be hit everywhere.”
The remarks come in the aftermath of the recent cross-border conflict between Pakistan and India that erupted in April, following an attack on tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which New Delhi blamed on Islamabad.
In response, Pakistan launched Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos, targeting Indian military positions across several regions. During the operation, Pakistan’s armed forces reportedly downed six Indian fighter jets, including three advanced Rafales, and dozens of surveillance drones.
The hostilities lasted nearly 87 hours and ended with a US-brokered ceasefire agreement on May 10. While India downplayed the role of international mediation, Pakistan credited then-US President Donald Trump with de-escalating the conflict and has formally recommended him for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.
“Pakistan acknowledges President Trump’s efforts in defusing tensions during a highly volatile period,” said the Foreign Office in a statement last month.
