On August 21, 2025, the Supreme Court of Pakistan granted bail to former Prime Minister Imran Khan in eight cases stemming from the unrest of May 9, 2023—a watershed moment that cracks the facade of military domination. For years, Field Marshal Asim Munir and the security establishment have justified their systematic suppression of dissent and opposition by wielding prosecutions as a weapon. Today, the court’s ruling exposes the untenable fragility of Munir’s grip on power. The world now witnesses the hollow drama of a brittle regime.

Diplomacy’s Mirage: Flattery Over Substance

Pakistan recently staged a calculated “charm offensive” in Washington, where Munir courted President Trump in private lunches, enlisted lobbyists from Trump’s business circle, and dangled promises of oil, cryptocurrency bonanzas, and rare earth minerals. The immediate results: lower tariffs and counterterrorism gestures that seemed to signal geopolitical wins. But these are little more than tactical ploys—quick fixes with no strategic depth.

Munir’s reckless nuclear threats in Tampa—vowing to take “half the world down” if Pakistan faltered—obliterated diplomatic gains overnight. U.S. analysts branded Pakistan a “rogue state,” even suggesting revocation of its special ally status and military actions to secure nuclear assets. These outbursts turned short-lived headlines into lasting liabilities. As the Washington Post noted, “flattery is not a strategy—it’s not long-term.” False promises of oil, stalled crypto ambitions mired in blackouts, and mineral riches lost in insurgency zone reality paint an unmistakable picture: Pakistan cannot buy stability or respect with empty boasts and transactional deals.

Isolation Abroad, Instability at Home

Regionally, Pakistan is increasingly isolated. After the May India-Pakistan border skirmishes, Trump secured a ceasefire but spared India’s escalation, prompting New Delhi to pivot swiftly to Beijing in pursuit of trade and flights—leaving Pakistan out in the cold despite its reliance on Chinese infrastructure.

The domestic story is equally sobering. Under Khan’s civilian leadership, Pakistan’s economy soared, posting 5.97% annual growth powered by agriculture and industry. Military rule reversed these gains, plunging GDP by 0.2% in 2023 and sparking a fragile recovery—2.5% in 2024 and 2.7% in 2025—under IMF-enforced austerity. Inflation fell, investment revived, but chronic blackouts, uneven development, and widespread discontent persist. Crackdowns, detentions, and censorship have driven Pakistan back to its darkest days. In Washington, the Pakistan Democracy Act threatens sanctions for wrongful persecution and judicial overreach.

Despite a 14-year corruption sentence keeping Khan behind bars, violence-related charges are collapsing. The Supreme Court’s recent ruling is a historic act of judicial defiance—an institutional fightback against military overreach.

Echoes of Authoritarian Catastrophe: Lessons from 1971

History is repeating itself in dangerous ways. In 1971, General Yahya Khan’s hubris and refusal to cede power resulted in economic implosion, mass repression, and the secession of Bangladesh. Munir’s tenure eerily mirrors that era: reckless threats, global marginalization, economic turmoil, and domestic repression. The parallels are unmistakable and the warning is clear.

As this piece examines here—whether laying out forensic critiques or rhetorical condemnation : Munir’s experiment in authoritarian stewardship has failed. Pakistan is at a crossroads, with the judiciary revealing the first cracks in a flawed system that has long relied on flattery, fear, and force to maintain control.

A Call for Renewal: Rejecting Half-Measures

Pakistan’s moment demands more than cosmetic fixes. It needs a radical institutional overhaul—an unflinching commitment to civilian-led, democratic, accountable governance. The judiciary’s intervention marks the beginning, not the end, of reform. Economic renewal must be grounded in honesty, transparency, and genuine stewardship—not fantasies and staged diplomacy.
Human rights must be restored, institutional checks reestablished, and the leash of arbitrary authority broken once and for all. The military cannot dictate Pakistan’s destiny in defiance of history and public will.

When leaders endanger stability, history demands they stand down. Pakistan’s armed forces must heed the lessons of 1971 and step aside. Only then can the country reclaim legitimacy, rebuild trust, and forge the global partnerships it desperately needs.

The courts have spoken. The region has realigned. The world sees through Munir’s hollow posturing. Pakistan must pivot toward civilian renewal, or risk permanent instability and isolation. The sands are shifting—Pakistan deserves firmer ground. The time for compromise and delay is over.

The hour is now. Reform is not optional — it is a matter of survival.