India has delivered a scathing rebuke to Pakistan at the United Nations, labeling a recent constitutional overhaul as a blatant "constitutional coup" that hands army chief Asim Munir unprecedented lifetime immunity and unchecked power.  In a pointed address to the UN Security Council, India's Permanent Representative Parvathaneni Harish called out Islamabad for undermining its own democracy. The controversial 27th Amendment, rammed through parliament in November 2025 under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's coalition, promotes Munir to the new role of Chief of Defence Forces. This gives him oversight of Pakistan's army, navy, and air force—powers that eclipse even the civilian president's—while shielding him from any legal accountability for life. Harish urged Pakistan to "introspect" on its deepening rule-of-law crisis, where the military now calls the shots behind a fragile democratic facade.

The amendment doesn't stop at Munir; it extends similar protections to other service chiefs, critics say, cementing the armed forces' dominance. Passed amid minimal public debate and fierce opposition from jailed ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan's supporters, it's been decried domestically as a power grab dressed up as reform. This echoes Pakistan's turbulent history of military interventions, from General Zia-ul-Haq's 1977 coup to Pervez Musharraf's era, where constitutions were bent to favor uniforms over ballots. Rights advocates warn it could stifle dissent and invite more instability, especially with Khan's PTI party rallying against what they call a "field marshal for life."

India's UN salvo arrives against a backdrop of frosty bilateral ties, exacerbated by cross-border skirmishes and Pakistan's alleged terror safe havens. By spotlighting Munir's elevation, New Delhi aims to expose Islamabad's hypocrisy: preaching global peace while eroding checks at home. Analysts see risks of heightened adventurism from a fortified military leadership, potentially rattling South Asia's fragile balance. Pakistan has yet to respond officially, but the episode underscores the military's iron grip on a nuclear-armed nation— a dynamic that keeps neighbors on edge. As Harish put it, true introspection starts with reining in the generals.