Pakistan’s defence ministry on Friday officially notified the appointment of Field Marshal Asim Munir as the country’s first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF).
The "president, on the advice of the prime minister, is pleased to appoint Field Marshal Asim Munir (NI) M as the chief of army staff, concurrently the chief of defence forces for a tenure of five years,” the notification read, news agency PTI reported citing Dawn.
This comes a day after President Asif Ali Zardari approved his appointment on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
According to the notification issued under Article 243 of Pakistan’s Constitution and the amended Pakistan Army Act, Munir will serve concurrently as Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces for a tenure of five years. The notification marks the most significant restructuring of Pakistan’s military command since the 1970s.
The appointment follows the passage of the 27th Constitutional Amendment last month, which created the new CDF post to establish a unified command structure and enable faster decision-making in critical situations.
The amendment also abolished the office of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), which had coordinated the tri-services since 1976. The CJCSC post formally ended on November 27 following the retirement of General Sahir Shamshad Mirza.
With the restructuring, operational, administrative and strategic authority of the armed forces has been consolidated into a single office headed by the CDF. The revised Article 243 provides that the president, acting on the prime minister’s advice, will appoint the army chief, who will concurrently serve as the CDF.
Munir was first appointed Army Chief in November 2022 for three years. His tenure was extended to five years in 2024 after amendments to the Pakistan Army Act.
He was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal days after the four-day conflict with India in May, becoming only the second officer in Pakistan’s history to hold the rank after Field Marshal Ayub Khan.
Alongside Munir’s notification, the defence ministry also confirmed a two-year extension for Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu. His extended tenure as Chief of the Air Staff will begin in March 2026 and continue till March 2028.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Munir on his “historic” appointment, saying his leadership had been pivotal in guiding Pakistan’s armed forces. He also praised the air chief for his command during recent operations. defence minister Khawaja Asif and other senior leaders also extended their congratulations, according to Dawn.
Information minister Attaullah Tarar said Pakistan’s defence had strengthened with the establishment of a unified command. Dismissing speculation over the delay in the notification, he said rumours circulating on social and electronic media had proven baseless.
Earlier uncertainty had followed the abolition of the CJCSC post and the end of Munir’s original three-year term in late November, leading to political speculation over upcoming four-star appointments. Government officials maintained that the delay was procedural and linked to the prime minister’s travel schedule.
Explaining the significance of the new post, army spokesman Lt General Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry said the CDF headquarters would improve coordination across modern, multi-domain warfare involving land, sea, air, cyber, space and intelligence operations. He added that many countries already operate under similar unified command structures.
Under the amended military laws, the five-year tenure of the first COAS-plus-CDF is deemed to begin from the date of notification, effectively resetting Munir’s term. The law also allows future reappointments or extensions of up to five years, creating the legal framework for continuity in leadership.
The next major step under the new structure will be the appointment of the Commander of the National Strategic Command (NSC), a four-star position responsible for strategic assets. The NSC commander will be appointed by the prime minister on the recommendation of the CDF.
Meanwhile, law minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the defence ministry is finalising a new organogram for the CDF to clearly define command flows between the CDF, the service chiefs and the newly created strategic command.
Politically, the 27th Constitutional Amendment has drawn mixed reactions. While the ruling coalition hailed it as a step towards efficiency and national security, opposition leaders warned that it concentrates excessive power in the military and could weaken democratic and provincial autonomy.