Pakistan Army Chief Marries Daughter to Nephew, Sparks Power Consolidation Concerns

• Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir married his daughter Mahnoor to his nephew, Captain Abdul Rehman, son of his brother Qasim Munir, on December 26.
• The marriage is viewed as a deliberate attempt to consolidate family power and influence within the highest echelons of the Pakistan Army.
• Abdul Rehman, a former Army Captain, now serves as an Assistant Commissioner under a quota reserved for Pakistan Army officers.
• Despite being a private ceremony, top political figures like President Asif Ali Zardari, PM Shehbaz Sharif, and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan attended.
• Indian intelligence suggests the wedding formalizes a network of trust based on family ties, reinforcing the army's dominance over the political class and securing Gulf support.

Why It Matters: Munir's family wedding is seen as a strategic move to cement military power and influence in Pakistan.