Pakistan’s security strategy under Army Chief Asim Munir has come under scrutiny following reports that question the effectiveness of the country’s hardline approach to internal security. According to an analysis cited in the article, the military leadership has increasingly relied on narrative management while facing a significant deterioration in the country’s security situation.
Munir assumed office as Pakistan’s Army Chief in 2022, at a time when the country was already grappling with rising militancy, unrest in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and strained relations with neighbouring Afghanistan. The report, citing the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), states that the military leadership subsequently adopted a security strategy centred on military operations, arrests, cross-border strikes, bans and greater centralisation of authority.
According to the article, this approach has not produced the desired stability. Instead, Pakistan has witnessed a rise in militant attacks, increasing casualties among civilians and security personnel, continued unrest in Baloch and Pashtun regions and worsening tensions with Afghanistan.
The article notes that although Munir was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal in 2025, security data cited from the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) presents a different picture. The report claims militant attacks increased from 380 incidents in 2022 to 645 in 2023, 908 in 2024, and 1,066 in 2025. According to PICSS, 2025 recorded the highest number of militant attacks since 2014, the highest security force fatalities since 2011 and the worst civilian death toll since 2015.
The article argues that Pakistan’s military leadership has projected itself internationally as a supporter of dialogue and regional stability while continuing to face unresolved internal conflicts. It states that Balochistan remains politically alienated, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continues to experience violence, the former tribal regions remain heavily militarised and relations with Afghanistan have deteriorated into repeated armed confrontations.
The report further describes what it sees as a contradiction between Pakistan’s external diplomacy and its domestic security policies. While advocating mediation and dialogue in regional affairs, the state is alleged to rely internally on coercive measures, including bans, arrests, military operations and restrictions on political activity.
The article also refers to developments in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), where authorities reportedly banned the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) under anti-terrorism laws. According to the report, protests in Rawalakot and Muzaffarabad demanding greater political and economic rights turned violent after the ban, highlighting broader concerns about governance and civil liberties.
The report contends that Pakistan has frequently attributed security challenges to external forces while paying insufficient attention to structural issues within its own governance and security framework. It argues that major security failures are often presented as the result of foreign conspiracies, whereas underlying domestic challenges remain unresolved.
The article also cites Human Rights Watch (HRW), which reportedly stated that Pakistani authorities in 2025 used broadly worded laws to intensify restrictions on media freedom, political opposition and civil society organisations.
According to the analysis, lasting improvements in Pakistan’s internal security will require not only military operations but also political reforms, stronger governance and efforts to address the root causes of militancy and public discontent.