Overview

• Local media portray Army Chief General Asim Munir as maneuvering to supplant President Asif Ali Zardari
• Munir’s promotion to Field Marshal, a rare military rank in Pakistan, has amplified his influence and spurred takeover rumors
• Speculation intensified after July 5, the 47th anniversary of General Zia-ul-Haq’s coup, adding symbolic resonance to the reports
• Bilawal Bhutto Zardari openly criticized Munir and advocated the extradition of militants Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar to India
• Talha Saeed denounced Bilawal’s comments as undermining national sovereignty and violating state policy