ISLAMABAD: In a landmark development, the federal government on Thursday appointed Field Marshal Asim Munir as Pakistan’s first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), marking a major restructuring of the country’s military leadership framework.
President Asif Ali Zardari approved the appointment after receiving the summary earlier in the day from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The move makes Field Marshal Munir the first Pakistani officer to simultaneously serve as Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defence Forces for a five-year term.
Munir, who was elevated to the rank of Field Marshal earlier this year following Pakistan’s decisive victory over India in the May war, becomes only the second Field Marshal in Pakistan’s history and the first in over six decades.
Prior to the announcement, Munir spoke informally with reporters at Aiwan-e-Sadr, assuring them that the nation was on a positive trajectory. “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.
In a parallel decision, President Zardari approved a two-year extension for Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu. The extension will take effect once his current five-year term concludes in March 2026.
A statement from the President’s Secretariat conveyed the president’s “best wishes to the COAS, concurrently the Chief of Defence Forces” and the Pakistan Air Force chief.
Structural Changes Under New Legislation
The creation of the CDF post stems from the Pakistan Army, Air Force, and Navy (Amendment) Bills 2025, signed into law by the president on November 15. Under these amendments:
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Article 243, outlining the powers of a Field Marshal, now applies automatically to any general promoted to that rank.
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The federal government may authorise the Vice or Deputy COAS to exercise COAS powers on the recommendation of the CDF.
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Upon issuance of the first notification for the dual office of COAS and CDF, the COAS’s tenure is considered to restart from that date.
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The federal government will define the CDF’s duties, including joint force integration, restructuring, and multi-domain coordination.
A major institutional shift under the amendments is the abolition of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC). The role has been replaced by the Commander of the National Strategic Command, who will be appointed by the prime minister from serving Pakistan Army generals for a three-year term, based on CDF recommendations.
This change became effective following the 27th Constitutional Amendment, which formally ended the office of the CJCSC. General (retd) Sahir Shamshad Mirza has now retired as the final holder of that position.
Field Marshal Asim Munir’s appointment marks the beginning of a new era in Pakistan’s defence structure, aimed at centralising military coordination and enhancing operational jointness across all services.
