What is field marshal rank? How many generals have been promoted to this top position in India and Pakistan?

Pakistan government on Tuesday decided to promote Army Chief General Asim Munir to the rank of Field Marshal for his ‘role’ in the recent conflict with India. The decision makes General Munir the second top military officer in Pakistan's history to be elevated to the position.

The decision to promote Gen Munir was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to an official statement.

"The Government of Pakistan has approved the promotion of Gen Asim Munir (Nishan-e-Imtiaz Military) to the rank of Field Marshal for ensuring the security of the country and defeating the enemy based on the high strategy and courageous leadership," the prime minister's office said.

But what is Field Marshal? How many generals in India and Pakistan have been promoted to this rank?

India has two Field Marshalls so far

Field marshal or FM is a five–star officer rank and the highest attainable rank in the Indian Army. The rank is immediately above general, but not in use in the army's current structure.

The field marshal is a rank bestowed on generals for ceremonial purposes or during times of war.

The rank has been awarded only twice in India. First conferred to Sam Manekshaw in 1973, in recognition of his service and leadership in the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War. The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi decided to promote Manekshaw to Field Marshal and subsequently to appoint him as the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) immediately after the war.

On 3 January 1973, after his term as the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Manekshaw was promoted to field marshal at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The second individual to be conferred the Field Marshal rank in India was Kodandera M Cariappa, the first Indian to serve as the Commander–in–Chief of the Indian Army – the office that later became the Chief of the Army Staff.

Unlike Manekshaw, who was promoted to field marshal a few days before leaving office as Chief of the Army Staff, Cariappa had retired for close to 33 years at the time of his promotion. Cariappa was rewarded for his exemplary service and conferred the rank of field marshal on 15 January 1986 at a special investiture ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Munir is second Pakistani to become Field Marshall

In recognition of his ‘outstanding’ military leadership, the cabinet approved the prime minister's proposal to promote Gen Munir to the rank of Field Marshal, a statement from the government of Pakistan informed.

Gen Munir's promotion to the largely ceremonial rank came over a week-and-half after the Indian and Pakistani militaries reached an understanding on cessation of military actions after four days of intense hostilities.

India has been maintaining that Pakistan pleaded for stopping the military actions after India hit nine military installations in Pakistan during Operation Sindoor on May 7. The operation was launched two weeks after terrorists struck and killed 26 people in Pahalgam valley of Jammu and Kashmir

Earlier, the state-run PTV reported that the cabinet took the important decision to “promote General Asim Munir as Field Marshal” of the country.

"This is not a personal achievement, but a tribute to the armed forces and the people of Pakistan,” Munir said in a statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

General Munir, who headed both spy agencies - the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Military Intelligence (MI) - assumed charge as the Army chief in November 2022. He succeeded General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who retired after two consecutive three-year terms. 

Before Munir, General Ayub Khan was elevated to the highest military rank in Pakistan. Ayub Khan was conferred the rank of Field Marshal in 1959.

Ayub Khan, who ruled the country from 1958 to 1969, also led the country in the 1965 war with India.

However, what makes the promotion of General Munir different is that Khan was ruling the country after imposing martial law and in a way himself responsible for his elevation.

Pakistan's tryst with dictators like Ayub Khan has been written about in the country and beyond. One of the most vocal Pakistani poets during General Ayub Khan's tenure between 1958 and 1977 was Habib Jalib.

‘Mein ne us se yeh kaha…'

Jalib is known for his powerful satire “Mein ne us se yeh kaha” (I said this to him), which became one of his most referred-to verses from the dictatorship era. 

The poem reminds the dictator (Ayub Khan in this case) how only he can salvage Pakistan, how only he can take it from night to day. Jalib died in 1993. But about 35 years after Jalib's death, the memories of dictatorship have not waned in Pakistan.

(With agency inputs)