ISLAMABAD – Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir became second Pak Army General to be promoted to rank of Field Marshal – the highest military rank. He got the role for his unmatched skills in recent escalation with India as two sides exchanged deepest missiles in last 50 years.
The rank of Field Marshal remains highest and most prestigious honorary title in Armed Forces, yet it has only ever been awarded once in the country’s history. This 5-star designation is not earned through the conventional military promotion system, but rather conferred by the state in rare and exceptional circumstances, typically to acknowledge extraordinary national or military contributions like recent Operation Bunyanun Marsoos.
Field Marshal Powers in Pakistan
Unlike operational military ranks, the honorary title of Field Marshal holds no command authority or active role in army’s day-to-day functions. Instead, it serves as a symbolic recognition, to make recipient’s unparalleled service and leadership.
The rank of Field Marshal has traditionally been awarded to generals who have led their nations through major wars, achieved strategic military victories, or played key roles during critical national security crises. However, Pakistan’s use of this title has followed a different trajectory.
In over 7.5 decades in country’s history, only one person has been granted this rank who was General Muhammad Ayub Khan. He was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army in 1951 and later imposed martial law in 1958, taking control of the government. In 1959, he self-appointed himself as Field Marshal, a move that has since been viewed more as a political gesture than a purely military honor.
Since first native commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Army, no other military officer in Pakistan has received this rank, and there has been no indication of it being considered for anyone else in the future. The title remains a rare, historical symbol rather than a functioning part of the modern military structure.
Field Marshal remains a ceremonial honor—steeped in history, marked by politics, and remembered through the legacy of a single figure in Pakistan’s military and political past.
Pak Army Chief Asim Munir elevated to rank of Field Marshal after major success against India
