VIDEO EXPLAINER | 16 OCTOBER 2026
Pakistan’s army has taken direct power three times: in 1958, 1977 and 1999. India’s armed forces never have. The reason is not tradition alone. It is a constitutional design in which the Army, Navy and Air Force sit under elected civilians at every link of the chain of command. This explainer walks through that chain, from Article 53 to the Chief of Defence Staff, and the contrast with Pakistan.
1. The contrast: three takeovers in Pakistan
Pakistan has had three military takeovers. In 1958 the President abrogated the constitution on 7 October and the army chief removed the President on 27 October. In 1977, Operation Fair Play took place on the night of 4–5 July. The October 1999 coup is described as the last direct military coup in Pakistan. Counting the periods usually given, direct military rule there has lasted more than three decades.
One point matters for accuracy. The change of 1969, when one general handed power to the army commander-in-chief, is not counted as a separate coup. It was a handover inside a single military regime, not a takeover from a civilian government. That is why the standard count is three.
2. Article 53(2): supreme command, regulated by law
Article 53(2) says that the supreme command of the Defence Forces of the Union is vested in the President, and that its exercise shall be regulated by law. So the formal head of the forces is a constitutional office, and the power is not left to the forces themselves. It is exercised under law made by Parliament.
3. Article 74: the President acts on advice
Article 74(1) provides for a Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister at the head to aid and advise the President, who shall, in the exercise of his functions, act in accordance with such advice. The proviso lets the President ask the Council to reconsider its advice once; after that, the President must act on the advice given after reconsideration. In practice, the President’s supreme command is exercised on the advice of elected ministers.
4. Article 75(3): accountability to the Lok Sabha
Article 75(3) states that the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the House of the People, the Lok Sabha. Put the three Articles together and the chain is clear: the forces are under the President, the President acts on the Council’s advice, and the Council answers to the elected Lok Sabha. Every link of command reaches the voter.
5. The Ministry of Defence and the CDS
The three Services sit inside the civilian Ministry of Defence. On 24 December 2019 the Cabinet approved the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), a four-star General. The CDS also heads the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), created within the Ministry of Defence, and functions as its Secretary. The DMA deals with the Armed Forces of the Union, namely the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.
The CDS is the Principal Military Adviser to the Raksha Mantri (Defence Minister) on all tri-Services matters, and the Permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. Crucially, the CDS will not exercise any military command, including over the three Service Chiefs, so as to be able to give impartial advice to the political leadership. The post advises; it does not command.
Constitutional and institutional framework
- Article 53(2): supreme command of the Defence Forces vested in the President; exercise regulated by law.
- Article 74(1): Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister at the head aids and advises the President, who acts in accordance with such advice (one reconsideration allowed).
- Article 75(3): Council of Ministers collectively responsible to the House of the People.
- Ministry of Defence: the Army, Navy and Air Force function within it.
- Chief of Defence Staff and Department of Military Affairs: approved by the Cabinet on 24 December 2019.
CLAT angle
- Legal Reasoning: read the exact words of Article 53(2): supreme command sits with the President, but its exercise is “regulated by law”.
- Application: if a question asks who decides on the President’s supreme command in practice, trace the chain: President, then the Council’s advice (Art 74), then the Lok Sabha (Art 75(3)).
- GK: the CDS was approved on 24 December 2019 and is Secretary of the Department of Military Affairs.
- Trap: the CDS is the principal military adviser, not a commander over the Service Chiefs.
- Passages: civil-military relations and civilian control of the armed forces are a common theme.
Key facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Supreme command | President, Article 53(2); exercise regulated by law |
| Aid and advice | Article 74(1): President acts in accordance with Council’s advice |
| Collective responsibility | Article 75(3): to the Lok Sabha |
| CDS approved | 24 December 2019, four-star General |
| CDS roles | Secretary, DMA; Principal Military Adviser to Raksha Mantri; Permanent Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee |
| CDS command | No military command, including over the Service Chiefs |
| Pakistan takeovers | Three: 1958, 1977, 1999 |
| Direct military rule in Pakistan | More than three decades |
Mnemonic
“53 commands, 74 advises, 75 answers.” The President holds command (53), acts on advice (74), and the Council answers to the Lok Sabha (75). For Pakistan: 58-77-99, three takeovers.
Sources
Constitution of India, Articles 53, 74 and 75 (constitutionofindia.net); Press Information Bureau release on the Cabinet approval of the Chief of Defence Staff, 24 December 2019 (Prime Minister’s Office copy); Al Jazeera analysis of Pakistan’s military and politics (30 January 2024); Wikipedia and Britannica entries on military coups in Pakistan.
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