PM Shehbaz approves appointment of Field Marshal Asim Munir as first Chief of Defence Forces
- Prime minister sends summary for final approval to Presidency
- Once approved by President Zardari, Field Marshal Asim Munir to remain Chief of the Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces for next five years
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved the appointment of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir as the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), forwarding the summary for final approval to the Presidency, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s House (PMO) on Thursday.
Once approved by President Asif Ali Zardari, Field Marshal Asim Munir will remain Chief of the Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces for the next five years.
Moreover, the prime minister also approved a two-year extension in the tenure of Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu. “The extension will take effect after the completion of his current five-year tenure in March 2026,” the PMO said.
Rana says Chief of Defence Forces notification to be issued when PM returns
The CDF position, created under the 27th Constitutional Amendment, will replace the now-abolished office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) chairman, which formally ended on November 27. General (retd) Sahir Shamshad Mirza stepped down as Pakistan’s last CJCSC.
President Zardari assented to the Army, Air Force and Navy Amendment Bills on November 15 after their parliamentary approval, paving the way for redefining command arrangements in the armed forces.
Under the amended law, the COAS will concurrently serve as the Chief of Defence Forces for a five-year term, with Field Marshal Munir’s tenure restarting from the date of the new notification.
Earlier this week, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif dismissed speculation surrounding the delay in issuing the notification for the appointment of the CDF, saying that the process was underway and the announcement would be made soon.
In a post on X then, Asif said there was “unnecessary and irresponsible speculation” regarding the CDF notification. “Please be informed that the process has been initiated. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is returning shortly,” he said then, adding that the notification would be issued “in due course of time.” The minister stressed that there was “no room for any conjecturing”.