General Asim Munir, an unpopular and war-driven leader, is struggling due to the mess he created amid increasing tensions with India. Meanwhile, the person in control of Pakistan has been granted more power. In a significant decision, Pakistan's Supreme Court has approved the trial of civilians in military courts. This ruling could give the military more authority, which has already weakened democracy in Pakistan.

On May 7, the Pakistan Supreme Court ruled to overturn an earlier decision that had declared civilian trials in military courts "unconstitutional." This ruling strengthens the power and position of Asim Munir. The court's constitutional bench in Islamabad cleared the way for military trials of individuals involved in the anti-army protests on May 9, 2023, according to news agency PTI. Thousands of supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rioted and attacked military facilities after the arrest of former Prime Minister and party leader Imran Khan. They believed the arrest was planned by General Munir.

Almost 1,000 of Khan's supporters were detained. The PTI claimed that many of its members were arrested without any proof or evidence, according to a report by news agency Reuters in 2024. On May 7, a seven-member constitutional bench of the court, led by Justice Aminuddin Khan, delivered its judgment after hearing multiple intra-court appeals regarding the Supreme Court's decision from October 2023. Another constitutional bench had previously ruled against trying civilians in military courts. Several petitioners, including law enforcement agencies, had requested the review of that ruling to allow military courts to try civilians under military laws. In a 5-2 split decision, Justice Aminuddin read a 10-page order that upheld the appeals, allowing civilians involved in the May 9, 2023, attacks to be tried in military courts.

The Pakistani Supreme Court restored three sections of the Pakistan Army Act, 1952, which had been struck down in 2023, according to a report by Karachi-based Dawn on Wednesday. The PTI has strongly criticised the Supreme Court ruling, claiming it gives General Munir the power to silence opposition. Omar Ayub Khan, a PTI member of the National Assembly, referred to the ruling as a "weaponised decision."

"The decision has been given on a day when the purportedly installed regime and the establishment want to build National Cohesion," Khan was quoted as saying by Dawn. His statement also referred to India's Operation Sindoor. "Dropping the military courts' verdict amid a war-like situation is a deliberate move to mask injustice," said Haleem Adil Sheikh, the PTI's spokesman for Sindh province. The decision was described as "terrible, though perhaps expected" by Reena Omer, the South Asian legal advisor to the International Commission of Jurists. "A pity the highest court of the land is on board with such militarisation of justice in the country," Omer wrote on X.

The Pakistan Supreme Court's decision comes at a time when tensions between India and Pakistan are rising following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. Many analysts believe that General Munir's comments targeting Hindus and India were meant to provoke and activate terrorist groups, especially as he and the army were becoming less popular. Munir used the controversial "two-nation theory" to remind Pakistanis of the irreparable "differences between Hindus and Muslims" just days prior to the Pahalgam incident. He even called Kashmir the "jugular vein" of Pakistan.

Munir's later threats of a "swift, resolute, and notch-up response" to any "military misadventure" by India have heightened tensions and pushed the nuclear-armed neighbours closer to a possible confrontation.  The Supreme Court's ruling provides Munir with a crucial boost at a time when his control over Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is weakening. With this new support, the general, who is becoming less popular, can now feel a bit more secure about internal opposition.