Pakistan’s most powerful military chief in decades faces the toughest test of his newly amassed powers as Washington pushes Islamabad to contribute troops to the Gaza stabilisation force, a move analysts say could spark domestic backlash.

Field Marshal Asim Munir is expected to fly to Washington to meet President Donald Trump in the coming weeks for a third meeting in six months that will likely focus on the Gaza force, two sources told Reuters, one of them a key player in the general’s economic diplomacy.

Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan calls for a force from Muslim nations to oversee a transition period for reconstruction and economic recovery in the war-torn Palestinian territory, decimated by over two years of Israeli military bombardment.

Many countries are wary of the mission to demilitarise Gaza’s Islamist militant group Hamas, which could drag them into the conflict and enrage their pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli populations.

But Munir has built a close relationship with the mercurial Trump to repair years of mistrust between Washington and Islamabad. In June, he was rewarded with a White House lunch – the first time a U.S. president hosted Pakistan’s army chief alone, without civilian officials.

“Not contributing (to the Gaza stabilisation force) could annoy Trump, which is no small matter for a Pakistani state that appears quite keen to remain in his good graces – in great part to secure U.S. investment and security aid,” said Michael Kugelman, Senior Fellow, South Asia at Washington-based Atlantic Council.

Pakistan, the world’s only Muslim country with nuclear weapons, has a battle-hardened military having gone to war with arch-rival India three times and a brief conflict this summer.

It has also tackled insurgencies in its far-flung regions and is currently embroiled in a bruising war with Islamist militants who it says are operating from Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s military strength means “there is a greater pressure on Munir to deliver his capacity,” said author and defence analyst Ayesha Siddiqa.

Pakistan’s military, foreign office and information ministry did not respond to questions from Reuters. The White House also did not respond to a request for a comment.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said last month that Islamabad could consider contributing troops for peacekeeping but disarming Hamas “is not our job.”

Munir was earlier this month anointed chief of the defence forces to head the air force and navy as well, with a job extension until 2030.

He will retain his field marshal title forever, as well as enjoy lifetime immunity from any criminal prosecution under the constitutional amendments that Pakistan’s civilian government pushed through parliament late last month.

“Few people in Pakistan enjoy the luxury of being able to take risks more than Munir. He has unbridled power, now constitutionally protected,” Kugelman added.

“Ultimately, it will be Munir’s rules, and his rules only.”

Over the past few weeks, Munir has met military and civilian leaders from countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt and Qatar, according to the military’s statements, which Siddiqa said appeared to be consultations on the Gaza force.

But the big concern at home is that the involvement of Pakistan troops in Gaza under a U.S.-backed plan could re-ignite protests from Pakistan’s Islamist parties that are deeply opposed to the U.S. and Israel.

The Islamists have street power to mobilise thousands.

A powerful and violent anti-Israel Islamist party that fights for upholding Pakistan’s ultra-strict blasphemy laws was banned in October.

Authorities arrested its leaders and over 1,500 supporters and seized its assets and bank accounts in an ongoing crackdown, officials said.

While Islamabad has outlawed the group, its ideology is still alive.

The party of former jailed premier, Imran Khan, whose supporters won the most seats in the 2024 national elections and has wide public support, also has an axe to grind against Munir.

Abdul Basit, Senior Associate Fellow, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, said if things escalated once the Gaza force was on the ground, it would cause problems quickly.

“People will say ‘Asim Munir is doing Israel’s bidding’ – it will be foolhardy of anyone not to see it coming.”

دو سرباز اردوی ایالات متحده و یک مترجم غیرنظامی روز شنبه در حمله‌ای که گفته می‌شود از سوی گروه داعش انجام شده است، جان باختند. این حمله زمانی رخ داد که یک فرد مسلح کاروان نیروهای امریکایی و سوری را در شهر تدمر (پالمیرا) هدف قرار داد.

قوماندانی مرکزی اردوی امریکا (سنتکام) اعلام کرد که در این رویداد سه سرباز دیگر نیز زخمی شده‌اند و مهاجم توسط نیروهای همکار کشته شده است. به گفته مقام‌های امریکایی، ارزیابی‌های ابتدایی نشان می‌دهد که احتمالاً گروه داعش در عقب این حمله قرار دارد، هرچند این گروه تاکنون مسئولیت آن را بر عهده نگرفته است.

مقام‌های سوری گفته‌اند که مهاجم عضو نیروهای امنیتی سوریه بوده اما نقش رهبری نداشته است. دونالد ترمپ، رئیس‌جمهور امریکا، این حمله را «وحشتناک» توصیف کرده و وعده «انتقام بسیار جدی» داده است.

ائتلاف به رهبری ایالات متحده در ماه‌های اخیر حملات هوایی و عملیات زمینی را در سوریه علیه مظنونان داعش انجام داده است که اغلب با مشارکت نیروهای امنیتی سوریه انجام شده است. سوریه ماه گذشته نیز یک عملیات سراسری را اجرا کرد که در آن بیش از ۷۰ نفر به اتهام ارتباط با این گروه دستگیر شدند.

ایالات متحده به عنوان بخشی از یک تلاش ده ساله برای کمک به نیروهای تحت رهبری کردها در شمال شرقی سوریه، در این کشور حضور نظامی دارد.

حمید، که از آگست سال گذشته در بازداشت و تحت محاکمه است، از سال ۲۰۱۹ تا ۲۰۲۱ در زمان صدراعظم سابق، عمران خان، رئیس آی‌اس‌آی پاکستان بود و این دو از متحدان نزدیک همدیگر محسوب می‌شدند.

اتهامات علیه فیض حمید شامل مشارکت در فعالیت‌های سیاسی و نقض قانون اسرار دولتی تا سوءاستفاده از اختیارات و منابع و همچنین ایجاد ضرر و زیان غیرقانونی به افراد می‌باشد.

ارتباط با عمران خان، صدراعظم سابق زندانی

اردوی پاکستان بدون ذکر جزئیات حوادث، اعلام کرد که فیض حمید در تمام اتهامات مجرم شناخته شد و افزود که محکومیت او پس از «روند قانونی طولانی و پر زحمت» صورت گرفته است و حمید حق استیناف طلبی را دارد.

او همچنین با تحقیقات جداگانه‌ای در مورد نقشش در حملات می ۲۰۲۳ توسط هزاران تن از حامیان عمران خان به ده‌ها تأسیسات و دفاتر نظامی در اعتراض به دستگیری وی، روبه‌رو است.

عمران خان از آگست ۲۰۲۳ در زندان است.