Pakistan’s military consolidation in 2025 has morphed subtle hybrid rule into brazen dominance, according to a critical new report. The veneer of stability, built on quelling opposition and fleeting global sympathy, teeters on collapse. Public trust in this setup remains elusive, with the system’s own illusions breeding inevitable ruin, writes Imtiaz Gul for East Asia Forum.
The year etched democracy’s decline: judiciary enfeebled, parliament emasculated, representatives turned puppets. Post-2024 election National Assembly members aligned slavishly with the establishment. Laws funneled civilian authority to the military, favoring stasis over pluralism.
Imran Khan’s sidelining accelerated. Held since August 2023 amid claims of engineered cases, his detention stoked turmoil. PTI allies pressed U.S. Republicans and Trump insiders for intervention, preempting his election win. Global events thwarted them.
UN Rapporteur Alice Jill Edwards spotlighted Khan’s grim jail conditions in December 2025, urging reforms. Yet Trump’s effusive nod to Asim Munir dashed optimism for foreign leverage. Post-2022 ouster, Khan faces 180 cases.
Strategic alignments shield this regression. Pakistan’s forces dovetail U.S. aims versus China-Russia, softening international gaze on human rights and polls. The analysis forewarns: in dissent-prone Pakistan, fleeting calm courts catastrophic unrest. Military hubris erodes the trust essential for endurance.