His father, Syed Sarwar Munir, was the principal of the FG Technical High School, Lalkurti, Rawalpindi and the imam of a mosque, Masjid-al-Quraish, situated in a locality of Dheri Hassanabad, where he often delivered the Friday Khutbah sermon.

[9] Munir got his early religious education in a traditional Islamic seminary in Rawalpindi, the Markazi Madrasah Dar-ul-Tajweed, in his youth also being a local cricketer as a fast bowler.

While he was a brigadier, he served as the chief of staff of Pakistan's I Strike Corps Mangla, and commanded an infantry brigade in the Northern Areas.

[15] Munir is the third recipient of Sword of Honour who has risen to the position of army chief in the military history of Pakistan, after Asif Nawaz Janjua and Jehangir Karamat.

[20][21] Before his appointment as Chief of Army Staff (COAS), he submitted his retirement application which was subsequently rejected by the Ministry of Defense , he was informed that the government had decided to retain him in service.

The recommendation for Munir's appointment as COAS was forwarded by the then Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, to the then President Arif Alvi on 24 November 2022.

[39] Munir visited the United States in December 2023, being hosted by the US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Charles Q.

[46][47] Munir's foreign policy, or "the Munir doctrine", has been described as trying to shift away from the traditional choice between the United States and China as a primary geopolitical partner, and centred around three key points: to have a softer image of Pakistan, to transform it into a regional middle power, especially as a security actor, and to prioritize geoeconomics over geopolitics.

After the 2024 Iran–Pakistan border skirmishes, Munir reiterated that Pakistan would respond to such altercations, stating that "You [Iran] cannot backstab us, and if you do, you will get a befitting reply.

"[49] Munir is also regarded as carrying a heavy anti-Afghan attitude, supporting the deportation of 1.7 million illegal Afghan refugees.

[53] In May 2024, Munir expressed concerns regarding "negative propaganda" on social media platforms and affirmed the military's readiness to address any threats or conspiracies.

[55][56] In November 2024, a statement from state broadcaster PTV recorded Munir as saying “Unrestricted freedom of speech is leading to the degradation of moral values in all societies.” He further said "[w]hile technology has enhanced access to knowledge, it has also facilitated the rapid spread of misinformation and hateful narratives, destabilizing political and social structures globally".

The Tribune (India) highlighted that his comments followed social media posts drawing parallels between Pakistan's current situation and the downfall of Sheikh Hasina's government in Bangladesh.

[61] On August 14, while addressing a parade on country's Independence Day, Munir reiterated his criticism of social media, warning that it was being used to spread chaos and false information targeting the Pakistan Armed Forces.

DAWN reported that this statement was part of a series of warnings from Munir and the Pakistani military concerning the potential "dangers" with social media.

He is applauded by some individuals for cracking down on dollar hoarding and smuggling,[64] which strengthened the Pakistani rupee, causing it to be the world's top-performing currency of September 2023.

In the aftermath of May 9 riots, following the arrest of Imran Khan on corruption allegations, Munir used military courts for civilians who rebelled against the army.

[71] Human rights organizations raised the concerns that military trials lack the necessary safeguards and transparency, thereby exposing to the risk of potential miscarriages of justice.

[77] On his appointment as COAS, Al-Jazeera described Munir as an officer with an "impeccable reputation" within the Pakistani military, while The Times of India described him as a "tough guy" for his hawkish attitude.

[78][79] On 19 May 2023, Zalmay Khalilzad alleged on Twitter that during his visit to the Sialkot Cantonment, where several military installations were targeted in the May 9 riots, Munir issued threats against senior officers.

[80] On 7 April 2024, Imran Khan, speaking to reporters while incarcerated, claimed that there was a conspiracy to assassinate him during his imprisonment and implied that "his fate was in the hands of Gen. Asim Munir".

[86][87] On 2 May, Khan conveyed through an article for The Daily Telegraph, that while incarcerated, the military establishment, led directly by Munir, employed various tactics to diminish his party's influence within Pakistan's political landscape.

[77] Khan also accused Munir of ordering Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agents to assassinate him and covering up these attempts by suppressing a police investigation and burying CCTV footage from a court appearance in March 2023[77] during a violent confrontation between his supporters and authorities.

[77] In his 2020 book, The Battle for Pakistan, Shuja Nawaz stated that Munir "was reported to have been behind the sacking of a high court judge who had been critical of the ISI.