'Hybrid' Confession: PM Sharif Admits Military Is Pakistan’s True Economic Engine | Exclusive Details

Last Updated:January 30, 2026, 23:37 IST

Shehbaz Sharif also claimed that the unprecedented level of civil-military unity would soon leave India 'astonished' and 'puzzled'

The Prime Minister’s remarks come in the wake of a significant constitutional overhaul in late 2025, which saw General Asim Munir elevated to the rank of Field Marshal and appointed as the country’s first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF). (File image/PTI)

In a stunning departure from traditional diplomatic rhetoric, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has openly admitted that a “hybrid regime" is the engine driving the country’s current survival. Addressing a gathering of eminent exporters and business leaders in Islamabad on Friday, the Prime Minister credited the military leadership—specifically Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir—for bailing out the civilian government and steering the nation away from the precipice of economic default.

The Prime Minister’s remarks come in the wake of a significant constitutional overhaul in late 2025, which saw General Asim Munir elevated to the rank of Field Marshal and appointed as the country’s first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF). This new role grants him overarching control over all three branches of the military and the nuclear command, effectively institutionalising the military’s role in civil governance.

“I can say without hesitation that without the help of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, many of our most pressing problems could not have been solved," Sharif stated. He specifically lauded the military’s “one-hundred-per-cent role" in eliminating petrol smuggling and stabilising the sugar industry. By describing the current setup as a “partnership", Sharif essentially acknowledged that the civilian administration now operates in a subservient, though collaborative, role to the military high command.

The most provocative segment of the Prime Minister’s speech was directed at New Delhi. Vowing to transform Pakistan into a global economic power, Sharif claimed that the unprecedented level of civil-military unity would soon leave India “astonished" and “puzzled".

“If this partnership continues like this, Pakistan will emerge as a strong country on the world map," Sharif declared. “Soon, India will also be puzzled as to how Pakistan became such a strong country." This rhetoric follows a period of intense regional tension after Operation Sindoor in May 2025, a military confrontation that spurred Pakistan to consolidate its internal command structure under the new Field Marshal.

Despite the “hybrid" nature of the regime, Sharif insisted that the strategy is yielding results. He announced a reduction in industrial electricity tariffs by Rs 4.4 per unit and a cut in export refinance rates from 7.5% to 4.5%. “The world is finally listening to you and making contacts for investment," he told the business community, citing a newfound global respect following what he termed a “victory in the war of truth."

By granting “blue passports" to top exporters and declaring them “ambassadors at large", the Prime Minister is attempting to signal that under the watchful eye of the Field Marshal, Pakistan is shifting from a state of “begging" to one of “export-led growth". However, critics suggest that the Prime Minister’s “big confession" merely confirms what observers have long suspected: that in 2026, the distinction between the barracks and the parliament in Islamabad has all but vanished.

News world 'Hybrid' Confession: PM Sharif Admits Military Is Pakistan’s True Economic Engine | Exclusive Details

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