President approves summary sent by PM; COAS to concurrently hold position for five years; Air chief’s tenure extended
ISLAMABAD:
On the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday formally appointed Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, also serving as Chief of Army Staff (COAS), as the country’s first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), under a newly established military command structure.
The much-awaited announcement was made in a statement issued from the Presidency.
Under the arrangement, Field Marshal Asim Munir will hold the post of CDF concurrently with his current role as COAS for a five-year term.
Simultaneously, the president also approved a two-year extension for Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu as Chief of Air Staff (CAS), extending his service beyond the completion of his existing five-year tenure on March 19, 2026.
In his statement, the president extended his best wishes to both field marshal and the air chief on their appointments and future service.
Earlier, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif forwarded the summary for the appointment of Field Marshal Asim Munir as Chief of Army Staff as well as Chief of Defence Forces to the Presidency.
The statement said that Field Marshal Asim Munir will serve concurrently as Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces for a period of five years.
The statement further said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also approved a two-year extension in the tenure of Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, Chief of Air Staff.
This extension will take effect upon the completion of his current five-year term in March 2026.
Also, before the formal announcement, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar told a news conference in Islamabad that there was no legal or political hurdle in issuing the notification for the appointment of the Chief of Defence Forces, and that the notification would be released soon.
With this approval, Asim Munir becomes the first official to assume the newly created role of Chief of Defence Forces under the revamped constitutional and legal framework.
The creation of the CDF position, and the consolidation of military leadership under Asim Munir, follow the sweeping constitutional and legal changes brought by the 27th Constitutional Amendment last month.
The 27th Amendment revised Article 243 of the Constitution, which governs the command and control of Pakistan’s armed forces. Under the revision, the office of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) wax abolished, a post that existed for nearly five decades.
In its place, the new post of Chief of Defence Forces has been created. The COAS is by default designated as CDF, thereby merging the institutional role of all three services under a single command.
To implement the constitutional change, parliament passed amendments to the Pakistan Army Act, Air Force Act, and Navy Act. These amendments formally align statutory law with the constitutional reform.
As a result, the terminology “Chief of Army Staff” in the Army Act is replaced with “Chief of Defence Forces/Chief of Army Staff (CDF-cum-COAS)” when so appointed. The rank and service tenure of the first CDF now resets from the date of notification.
A new post of Commander National Strategic Command (CNSC) has been introduced, responsible for strategic forces coordination. Appointment to this post will be on the recommendation of the CDF, making the CDF the top uniformed official across operational, administrative and strategic levels.
Under the amendment, officers elevated to five-star ranks — such as Field Marshal, Marshal of the Air Force, or Admiral of the Fleet — are granted lifetime status, privileges, and legal protections similar to constitutional office-holders.
For the first time in Pakistan’s constitutional history, these privileges are enshrined in law, giving the top brass a level of permanence not previously enjoyed.
Asim Munir will officially become Pakistan’s first Chief of Defence Forces, actively holding jurisdiction over all three branches — army, air force and navy — thereby eliminating the separate coordinating post of CJCSC.
The tenure reset under the new legislation offers him a five-year term starting from the date of notification, with future possible extensions under the amended law.
The chain of command is now constitutionally centralised. Operational, administrative, and strategic control is vested in a single office, fundamentally altering Pakistan’s military leadership structure.
Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Sidhu’s extended tenure ensures continuity at the air force’s helm through March 2028, providing institutional stability during the transition.
The reforms raise significant implications for civil-military relations, checks and balances, and the oversight architecture of Pakistan’s armed forces and judiciary.
