Islamabad: President Asif Ali Zardari has formally signed off on the summary to appoint Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir as Pakistan’s first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF).
This historic move comes after the introduction of the 27th Constitutional Amendment, which also marks the abolishment of the previously held office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), a role which officially ended on November 27.
In addition, the President has approved a two-year extension for Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, which will take effect once his current five-year term concludes in March 2026.
The move follows Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recommendation, which was forwarded to the President for approval. The new position of CDF, held alongside the role of Chief of Army Staff (COAS), will serve as a dual command role.
Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir’s tenure for both positions has been set for a term of five years.
Earlier today, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar confirmed that the notification for the appointment of CDF would be issued imminently, stating that the process was already underway.
Speaking at a press conference with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, the Law Minister reassured the public that there were no political tensions regarding the appointments and urged the public to avoid unnecessary speculation.
