New Delhi, Dec 26 (NationPress) This year witnessed Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir amassing extraordinary power over the civilian administration without executing a traditional military coup, yet he significantly altered constitutional frameworks and international relations as domestic turmoil and economic challenges intensified.

Despite the General's ascent to the rank of Field Marshal without any notable battlefield accomplishments, the nation continues to deteriorate, facing severe internal security and economic instability. Pakistan grapples with multiple risk factors, including political unrest threatening reform efforts, slower-than-anticipated economic growth affecting revenue projections, and external shocks such as surging commodity prices.

Balochistan continues to suffer from insurgent activities and the government's harsh countermeasures, while tensions in Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK) and ongoing skirmishes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have strained security forces and displaced numerous communities.

The Afghan border remains a significant source of instability, with trade and movement halted since the Taliban's attack on October 11, reportedly in retaliation for Islamabad's airstrikes. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has intensified protests against the solitary confinement of its leader, Imran Khan, complicating counterterrorism efforts and refugee management.

Pakistan’s economy is under immense strain, characterized by stagnant growth, currency fluctuations, and conditional external funding, all of which limit the government's ability to provide essential services, inflating public discontent and constraining policy alternatives.

Experts caution that a militarized approach to governance during economic downturns could prioritize security expenditures over crucial reforms necessary for reviving investments and job creation. Reports indicate that Islamabad is ensnared in a debt trap concerning the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, most phases of which remain unfinished amidst significant economic, security, and environmental obstacles. Pakistan must address over USD 23 billion in external debt repayments this fiscal year, while the central bank estimates total foreign debt repayments and interest to be around USD 30.35 billion for the year, according to media reports.

Additionally, reports from the Pakistan Economic Survey 2024-25 indicate that the nation's total debt stood at Pakistani Rs 76.01 trillion (approximately USD 267 billion) by the end of March, comprising domestic debt of Pakistani Rs 51.52 trillion (around USD 180 billion) and external debt of Pakistani Rs 24.49 trillion (approximately USD 86 billion).

Islamabad's foreign policy has fluctuated between seeking security and economic partnerships with the United States and aligning with China for infrastructure and strategic support. This dual strategy fosters strategic ambiguity in the region as different partners vie for influence.

On September 25, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and General Asim Munir met with United States President Donald Trump in Washington, where images showed them discussing rare earth minerals, and reports suggested they offered a port for U.S. development.

Munir's rapid rise from army chief to the most powerful security figure in the nation has been both swift and transformative. He has been positioned in a new, overarching defense role that consolidates command over the army, navy, air force, and nuclear arsenal—an alteration criticized for creating unchecked authority.

Legislators enacted what many are calling the 27th Amendment, which replaced previous collective command structures with a single Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) post, extending legal immunities and tenure protections for the incumbent.

Critics refer to this move as a “constitutional coup”, as it restructured oversight protocols, reduced civilian checks, and effectively insulated military leadership from parliamentary or judicial scrutiny. Munir's consolidation involved legal reforms, institutional changes, and public-facing narratives emphasizing national security.

The amendment reset tenures and centralized command, while state messaging framed these reforms as vital for stability; the outcome was a military apparatus with increased autonomy and substantial immunity from civilian oversight.

The General oversaw the destruction of army installations and terror launchpads during Operation Sindoor, a high-intensity cross-border operation initiated earlier in the year, in response to Pakistan-trained terrorists killing 25 tourists and a local pony operator in Pahalgam on April 22.

Subsequent reports indicate that the state has begun to reconstruct the terror network, failing to learn from previous missteps. As the New Year approaches, it is unlikely that the dawn will illuminate much of the shadows plaguing Pakistan.