An Islamabad controversy triggered by prominent Pakistani journalist Asma Shirazi’s comments centers on the Pak Army General Asim Munir’s claim he asked Israel to exchange Afghan soldiers for $10,000. It has brought criticism for allegedly “monetizing a conflict” and speculation for an “unmonetized” conflict between the Pakistani military and the Israeli military industrial complex. As Shirazi notes, the “peacekeeping” military mission has since been “mischaracterized” and, to “aid” Pak’s stake, Shirazi has suggested the “peacekeeping” mission has been “transactional” rather than “unmonetized.” This comes a few days after the Field Marshal's secret visit to Egypt, where, according to CNN-News18, he held closed-door meetings with Israeli and CIA officials regarding the finalization of the troop allocations Pos-War Gaza.As a means of showing solidarity with the Palestinian people and in an effort to rebuild its international reputation amidst domestic turmoil and political crackdowns, the Pakistani Army presented a troop offer. Nevertheless, the requests for advance funds made by Munir have led to a loss of credibility for Islamabad and raised the issue of whether Pakistan’s military is more interested in profit than in peace. To many observers, the controversy is symptomatic of a more systemic issue: Pakistan’s military vaulting itself to defend the Muslim cause while seeking political or economic gains from military conflicts in the world. The mere existence of these claims and their acceptance within policy circles goes a long way in reputation policy banking. Repairing its moral standing internationally is not only an ambition, but a necessity for Pakistan, especially with its reliance on military aid from the global south. If Shirazi’s claims are true, the “solidarity mission” to Gaza may go down in history as an act of compassion most people will struggle to remember rather than as just another act of global opportunism for Pakistan.
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