The army chief’s multi-alignment strategy allows Islamabad to engage the US and China without ideological constraints
Field Marshal Asim Munir addressing participants of 17th National Workshop Balochistan at GHQ. Photo: Screengrab ISPR
As the United States steps back from its longstanding role as the world’s strategic overseer, the resulting vacuum has sparked a struggle among the so-called “middle powers” to reposition themselves in a rapidly changing global order, and Chief of Staff Asim Munir has emerged as one of the most skilled players, according to analysis by the Financial Times.
In a wide-ranging commentary on the accelerating decline of US global authority under President Donald Trump, the FT argues that while many countries have been unsettled by the speed of Washington’s retreat, Pakistan’s military leadership has adapted with remarkable agility.
The paper declares Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir the “first prize” winner among middle power leaders who are recalibrating their foreign policy to match what it calls Trump’s “casual approach to the world”.
The FT situates Pakistan’s position within a broader historical shift, comparing America’s withdrawal from global leadership to moments when previous empires lost control after attempting managed reform.
While China has not rushed to fill the vacuum left by Washington, the FT argues that this has opened up space for what it calls “entrepreneurial middle powers”, highlighting Pakistan as the most effective example.
The paper describes CDF Asim Munir as “the very model of a middle power multi-aligner”, noting his ability to move easily between Washington, Beijing, Riyadh and Tehran.
The FT notes that the reconfiguration has also allowed Islamabad to maintain engagement with the US without facing the democracy-focused lectures that once accompanied US diplomacy.
That adaptability has frustrated rivals such as India, which have been less willing to pander to Trump and have found the middle power balancing act more difficult than expected, the commentary notes.
