Asim Munir appointed Pakistan’s first Chief of Defence Forces, to continue as Chief of Army Staff as well

Field Marshal Asim Munir has officially been appointed as Pakistan's first Chief of Defence Forces for a period of five years. He will continue to hold the office of Chief of Army Staff simultaneously.

President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday approved the summary submitted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formally asking him to appoint Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Munir as the first CDF of Pakistan.

The Pakistani President extended his best wishes to Munir, a release from the President’s office said.

About the post — CDF Pakistan

This comes a month after the Pakistani parliament passed the 27th Constitutional Amendment, providing for the creation of the post of CDF.

Media reports said that the post was created with the objective of improving coordination among the army, navy, and air force, and expediting decision-making in critical situations.

The CDF replaced the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), a post that was abolished.

The decision to issue a formal notification has put to rest rumours regarding the delay in the appointment of the CDF, which was due since 27 November, when the last CJCSC, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, retired.

Rise of Asim Munir

Asim Munir has risen to prominence since earlier this year, when Pakistan said it defeated India in a four-day war. Associated Press reported that Pakistan and India, in the tit-for-tat strikes in May, targeted each other's military positions after India struck targets, under Operation Sindoor, inside Pakistan, it said, that were affiliated with militants responsible for the massacre of 26 tourists in Kashmir.

“But the two sides stepped back from the brink of war after US President Donald Trump said India and Pakistan had agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire,” the AP report said. Since then, the truce between the two nuclear rivals has held.

The elevation of Munir comes months after Pakistan promoted him to field marshal, making him only the second military officer in the country’s history to hold the title. The first was Gen. Ayub Khan, who led Pakistan during the 1965 war with India.

The law passed by parliament last month stipulates that Munir will remain in uniform for life and will enjoy immunity from arrest, a move that has drawn criticism from the party of the imprisoned former premier, Imran Khan, which says the grant of sweeping powers to Munir undermines democracy.

The army has historically wielded huge influence in Pakistan, ruling it for half of the country’s history. But it has also been fighting local and foreign militants since 2001, when Pakistan became an ally of the United States in the war on terror, and thousands of people, including soldiers and police officers, have died since then in militant attacks, the report said.

Chief of Air Staff also gets 2-year extension

President Zardari also approved a two-year extension in the service of Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, Chief of Air Staff, to take effect from the completion of his present tenure on 19 March 2026.

(With agency inputs)