ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has approved the summary submitted by the Prime Minister for the appointment of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir NI(M), HJ, Chief of Army Staff, concurrently as Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) for a period of five years.
He has also approved a two-year extension in the service of Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu NI (M), HJ, Chief of Air Staff, to take effect from the completion of his present tenure on 19 March 2026.
The President extended his ly the Chief of Defence Forces and the Chief of Air Staff for their successful tenures.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved the summary for the appointment of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir as Chief of Army Staff as well as the country’s first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), and forwarded it to the Presidency for formal approval.
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. It would be a dual-hatted position combined with the office of the army chief.
According to the Prime Minister’s office, Field Marshal Asim Munir will simultaneously hold both positions—Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces—for a tenure of five years. His appointment marks the first time in Pakistan’s history that the position of Chief of Defence Forces has been created and filled.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also approved a two-year extension in the service tenure of Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, which will be effective from the completion of his current five-year tenure in March 2026.
ACM Sidhu had been appointed as the chief of the air staff in March 2021 and had been granted a one-year extension in 2024.
Both decisions have been sent to the President’s Office for final endorsement as per constitutional procedure.
The newly established position of the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), introduced through the 27th Constitutional Amendment, formally replaces the now-defunct office of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), which ceased to exist on November 27. Under the revised structure, the CDF role will be dual-hatted, combining responsibilities of the former CJCSC with the office of the Chief of Army Staff.
Another key appointment still under consideration is the Commander of the National Strategic Command (NSC), a newly created four-star role tasked with overseeing Pakistan’s nuclear command and strategic forces—previously handled by the CJCSC. According to officials, this decision is expected only after the formal notification of the CDF appointment is issued.
As per the amended Article 243 of the Constitution, the NSC Commander will be appointed by the Prime Minister on the recommendation of the Chief of Army Staff, who will concurrently serve as the Chief of Defence Forces.
Meanwhile, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir expressed confidence in Pakistan’s future trajectory and said that, from here onwards, Pakistan would soar to greater heights.
“Everything is fine — it’s all in front of you. Things are improving, and from here onwards, Pakistan will rise to new heights,” the army chief remarked during an informal interaction with journalists at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Thursday night.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday congratulated Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on his appointment as the country’s first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), calling the move “aligned with contemporary and modern warfare requirements.” In a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office,
Sharif extended his “best wishes” to Gen Munir and said the new role would further strengthen the country’s defence. “Under Field Marshal Asim Munir’s leadership, our brave armed forces inflicted a decisive defeat on the enemy,” the statement quoted the prime minister as saying.
He said the commander’s role in what he described as a “battle for truth” had “brought honour to Pakistan internationally.” The prime minister also congratulated Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu on a two-year extension to his tenure as Chief of Air Staff.
Sharif said the Pakistan Air Force, under Sidhu’s command, had demonstrated “professional excellence,” claiming its pilots had destroyed enemy aircraft during recent operations. He said all state institutions would continue to work together for Pakistan’s defence, development and prosperity. “We will collectively make the country’s defence impregnable,” he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025