A leading global financial daily has held up Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, as one of the sharpest strategic minds in today’s turbulent world, praising his ability to juggle rival powers and exploit the unconventional style of US President Donald Trump.
In a recent column on the future of “middle powers” in a chaotic global order, the Financial Times used Asim Munir as its standout example of how a mid‑sized state can still carve out space between clashing giants. The paper argues that as Washington retreats from its old role as predictable guarantor of a “rules‑based order,” countries like Pakistan are being forced to improvise, and Munir, it says, has done this better than most.
According to the analysis, Pakistan’s military chief has emerged as the very model of a modern “multi‑aligner”: a leader who can maintain working relationships with competing capitals at the same time. The article highlights how, under Munir, Islamabad has kept itself actively engaged with Washington, Beijing, Riyadh, and Tehran in parallel, rather than tying itself exclusively to any one bloc.
The Financial Times notes that Munir grasped early how to handle Trump’s highly personal, transactional style. By recognising that flattery and carefully calibrated charm carried unusual weight with the US president, Pakistan’s top soldier was able to secure attention and room for manoeuvre at a moment when many other states were struggling to read the mood in Washington.
The column places this in a wider context: middle powers across Asia, the Gulf, and beyond now face a far more complex map, squeezed between US‑China rivalry, shifting security guarantees, and economic pressure. In that environment, the paper suggests, the countries that can think and move fastest, and the leaders who can work with all sides without becoming trapped, will gain a decisive edge.
It is in this frame that Asim Munir is presented as a benchmark. While the article points to other regional players wrestling with the new reality, it casts Pakistan under his stewardship as one of the rare examples of a state that has managed to stay relevant and extract diplomatic advantage from a messy, unpredictable era.
Source: Financial Times