How Operation Sindoor made Pakistan ‘rush through constitutional amendments’, reset military

India’s Operation Sindoor pushed Pakistan into hurried constitutional amendments and a reworking of its top defence organisation, a move that showed the operation did not go in Islamabad’s favour, chief of defence staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan said on Friday.

Operation Sindoor was carried out on May 7 last year, when India struck terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack that claimed the lives of 26 civilians.

Speaking at the Pune Public Policy Festival 2026 at the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE), Chauhan said Pakistan’s steps after the operation, including changes to its military leadership structure, pointed to major weaknesses that came to light during the clash, HT earlier reported.

Article 243 of Pakistan’s Constitution defines the relationship between the country’s civilian leadership and the military. Gen Chauhan said the amendment to Article 243 led to major changes in the country’s higher defence structure.

Pakistan also scrapped the post of chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee and replaced it with a chief of defence forces, while establishing a National Strategy Command and an Army Rocket Forces Command as part of the amendment.

Under the amendment, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who has served as army chief since November 2022, was also handed the charge of the navy and the air force. The change also grants him lifetime immunity from arrest and prosecution, a step critics said could push the country towards autocracy.

Gen Chauhan said these moves have led to land, joint and strategic military authority being placed in the hands of one person.

“Today, the Army Chief will be responsible for land operations, joint operations with the Navy and Air Force through the CDF, as well as strategic and nuclear matters. The creation of the Rocket Forces Command adds another important layer. This, in some ways, reflects a land-centric mindset,” he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Notably, India and Pakistan arrived at an understanding on May 10 to stop the conflict after four days of cross-border drone and missile attacks.