Former Pakistani Minister of Information Fawad Chaudhry took a sharp jibe at the country’ fragile leadership with putting the spotlight on Army Chief Asim Munir, whom he termed as the “de facto leader” of the country.
Chaudhry said that right now, the decision-making right is with Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is sidelined altogether.
“Frankly, there is no two opinions about that. Right now, Pakistan is led by General Asim Munir. He is the de facto leader of Pakistan. The decision-making right now is with the Field Marshal or CDF…” he said as quoted by news agency ANI.
#WATCH | Islamabad, Pakistan | On being asked who is heading the US-Iran mediation talks in Islamabad, Asim Munir or Shehbaz Sharif, Former Pakistani Minister of Information
Fawad Chaudhry says, "Frankly, there is no two opinions about that. Right now, Pakistan is led by General… pic.twitter.com/gMlwa192Ma
— ANI (@ANI) April 15, 2026
He further referred to US President Donald Trump’s remarks praising the Army Chief, saying that the former not even bothered to talk about Shehbaz Sharif.
“Even yesterday, President Trump actually named General Asim Munir as the Leader of Pakistan, and he has not even bothered to talk about Shehbaz Sharif…” he added.
His remarks came at a time when Munir has become the main figure in Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts, especially in hosting and managing important talks between the United States and Iran. From welcoming delegations himself to directly engaging with US Vice President JD Vance, he has taken a leading role in foreign policy, even overshadowing the civilian leadership.
Even Trump seemed to support that view. While suggesting that the next round of US-Iran talks might be held in Pakistan “in the next two days,” he praised Munir as a “fantastic” leader, showing confidence in him. Notably, Trump did not mention Sharif at all, adding to the impression about who really holds power.
Meanwhile, Munir on Wednesday arrived in Tehran to facilitate diplomatic exchanges between Iran and the United States following failed negotiations held in Islamabad over the weekend.
A top security source told CNN-News18 that Munir is expected to hold in-depth discussions with senior Iranian officials on the recent US-Iran talks and review the positions of both negotiating sides.
