Shehbaz Sharif In A Spot? Senior Islamic Scholar Calls Lifetime Immunity For Asim Munir 'Haram'

Last Updated:December 25, 2025, 07:53 IST

Mufti Taqi Usmani of JUI-F has publicly questioned the moral and religious basis of granting lifetime legal immunity to Asim Munir, calling it 'un-Islamic'.

Pakistan's Field Marshal Asim Munir. (Image: ISPR/AP)

In a sign of growing discontent within Pakistan, a senior Islamic scholar of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has questioned the lifetime legal immunity given to Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir under the 27th Constitutional Amendment, calling the move ‘haram‘ (forbidden).

Sources told CNN-News18 that Mufti Taqi Usmani of JUI-F has publicly questioned the moral and religious basis of granting lifetime legal immunity to Pakistan’s top rulers, saying that such immunity to anyone, including Asim Munir, is an un-Islamic move.

On December 27, Munir took charge as Pakistan’s first Chief of Defence Forces, or CDF, a post created by the controversial 27th Amendment to the 1973 Constitution. The amendment has paved the way for explicit constitutional immunity for Munir, as he acquires lifelong protection from criminal prosecution or civil proceedings for acts performed in office, unless Parliament itself first strips that immunity.

However, the partners in the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) are reportedly not in favour of the sweeping immunity given to Asim Munir under the 27th Amendment. Usmani said that no ruler, general or caliph is above accountability, as per the Quran and Sunnah. He said such protection for rulers or military chiefs is forbidden in Islam.

The PDM was a coalition of major political parties formed in 2020 to challenge then–Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government, accusing it of poor governance and economy mismanagement. The alliance was led by Shehbaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and included Bilawal Bhutto’s Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the JUI-F. However, the JUI-F later exited the PDM and in 2024 announced a protest movement, alleging that the elections had been “rigged."

Growing Discontent In Pakistan

Sources close to the JUI-F told CNN-News18 that the party feels it was used for street power and religious legitimacy, but ultimately denied actual decision-making authority. The party has accused the Shehbaz Sharif government of violating the principles of the Quran by granting lifetime immunity to Munir.

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman also views the civilian government as a facade, with real power concentrated with the Army Chief, according to sources. This has led to the perception that seat-sharing adjustments and post-poll arrangements were made to favour the ruling PML-N and Bilawal Bhutto’s Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

Meanwhile, grassroots Deobandi clerics are pushing Rehman to distance himself from what is widely being seen as an ‘un-Islamic’ alliance. An open dissent like Taqi Usmani’s signals a deeper legitimacy crisis for Pakistan’s hybrid regime, top intelligence sources told CNN-News18.

Additionally, the growing rift between the JUI-F and the Shehbaz Sharif government weakens coalition stability and increases reliance on the military. By invoking Islamic principles, critics make suppression by Rawalpindi more challenging.

News world Shehbaz Sharif In A Spot? Senior Islamic Scholar Calls Lifetime Immunity For Asim Munir 'Haram'

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