Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday sent a summary to President Asif Ali Zardari recommending the appointment of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir as Pakistan’s first chief of defense forces (CDF).
He CDF positioncreated under the 27th Constitutional Amendment, will replace the now abolished position of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), which formally term on November 27. It would be a dual-purpose position combined with the position of army chief.
The Prime Minister today approved the summary for the appointment of Field Marshal Munir “as Chief of the Army Staff and Chief of the Defense Forces”, and then forwarded it to the President’s Chamber, according to a press release from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
Field Marshal Munir’s appointment to both positions is for a period of five years, the statement said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz also approved a two-year extension in the tenure of Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, which will come into effect from the completion of his current five-year tenure in March 2026, the PMO added.
On Sunday, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said the notification for the appointment of the CDF would be issued “in due course” and urged people to refrain from speculation in this regard.
The next day, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the government would issue the notification in the coming days but was already “taking over the position in all respects.”
Tarar had linked the delay to Prime Minister Shehbaz not being in the country and explained that notifying the new CDF is the job of the Defense Ministry and that they have to coordinate with the PMO.
Officials and observers expected the new notification to coincide with the abolition of the CJCSC post.
Another pending decision is the appointment of the commander of the National Strategic Command, a new four-star position created to assume the role of nuclear manager previously held by the CJCSC.
More to follow
