ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Thursday appointed Field Marshal Asim Munir as Pakistan’s first-ever Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), marking a historic shift in the country’s military structure.
President Asif Ali Zardari approved Munir’s appointment after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif forwarded the summary earlier in the day. Under the new arrangement, Field Marshal Munir will simultaneously serve as Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defence Forces for a five-year tenure.
Munir, elevated to the rank of Field Marshal earlier this year, became only the second person in Pakistan’s history to hold the title — and the first in more than six decades. His promotion came after Pakistan’s decisive victory over India in the May war.
Moments before the notification, Munir told journalists informally at Aiwan-e-Sadr that Pakistan is entering a phase of progress. “Everything is fine; it’s all in front of you. Things are moving towards improvement, and Pakistan will now soar to greater heights from here,” he said.
Separately, President Zardari also approved a two-year extension for Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu. The extension will take effect when Sidhu completes his current five-year tenure in March 2026.
According to the President’s Secretariat, the president extended his “best wishes to the COAS, concurrently the Chief of Defence Forces,” and to the Air Force chief for their upcoming terms.
Major structural changes
The appointment of Pakistan’s first CDF follows President Zardari’s assent to the Pakistan Army, Air Force, and Navy (Amendment) Bills 2025, which were passed by parliament earlier this month.
The amended law extends Article 243 — which outlines the powers and responsibilities of a Field Marshal — to any general promoted to that rank. It also empowers the federal government to authorise the Vice Chief or Deputy Chief of Army Staff to exercise COAS powers, under written orders issued on the recommendation of the CDF.
The law further stipulates that once the first notification for the dual office of COAS and CDF is issued, the incumbent COAS’ tenure will restart from the date of that notification.
The federal government will assign the CDF’s specific responsibilities, which include multi-domain integration, restructuring of defence mechanisms, and ensuring jointness among all branches of the armed forces.
CJCSC post abolished
A significant feature of the amendment is the abolition of the office of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), which is now replaced with the post of Commander National Strategic Command.
The prime minister may appoint the Commander from among serving Pakistan Army generals for a three-year term, based on the recommendation of the COAS/CDF.
With the 27th Constitutional Amendment, the CJCSC post officially ceased to exist, and General (retd) Sahir Shamshad Mirza became the last officer to hold the position.