- President Zardari approves appointment of COAS Munir as CDF.
- Air Chief Marshal Sidhu gets two-year tenure extension.
- Pakistan will soar, Field Marshal Munir told reporters.
ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Thursday appointed Field Marshal Asim Munir as the first Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) of Pakistan.
President Asif Ali Zardari approved the appointment of Field Marshal Munir as chief of defense forces following a summary sent earlier today by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The army’s top official – who was promoted to the rank of field marshal earlier this year – will concurrently serve as army chief of staff for five years.
COAS Munir was elevated to the rank of field marshal – Pakistan’s second and first in over six decades – after the country’s resounding victory over India in the May War.
Moments before his appointment, COAS Munir said that from now on, Pakistan would reach greater heights.
“Everything is fine, everything is in front of you. Things are moving towards improvement and Pakistan will now reach greater heights from here,” he told reporters during an informal chat at the Awain-e-Sadar in Islamabad.
Separately, President Zardari also approved a two-year extension in the tenure of Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu. The extension will come into effect once his five-year term ends in March 2026.
The creation of a new military title follows President Zardari’s November 15 approval of the Pakistan Army, Air and Navy (Amendment) Bills, 2025, after their approval by Parliament.
Under the amended provisions, Article 243, which governs the powers and responsibilities of a field marshal, will also apply to any general promoted to that rank.
The Federal Government may authorize the Vice Chief of Army Staff or the Deputy Chief of Army Staff to exercise the powers of the COAS under written orders issued on the recommendation of the Chief of Defense Forces (CDF).
The legislation further states that once the first notification for the dual tenure of COAS and CDF is issued, the tenure of the serving COAS shall be deemed to have started again from the date of such notification.
The federal government will determine the specific duties and responsibilities of the CDF, which will include multi-domain integration, restructuring and ensuring jointness among the armed forces.
An important structural change introduced as part of the amendment is the removal of the position of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC), which will now be replaced by the Commander of the National Strategic Command.
The Prime Minister may appoint the Commander from serving generals of the Pakistan Army for a term of three years, based on the recommendation of the COAS/CDF.
With the 27th Constitutional Amendment, the post of CJCSC had officially ceased to exist and General (retd) Sahir Shamshad Mirza retired as the last occupant of this post in the country.
A Brief Overview of Field Marshal Munir’s Military Career
Marshal Munir, the new CDF of Pakistan, was commissioned into the 23rd Border Force Regiment in 1986. He completed the 17th Officer Training Course at Mangla and was awarded the coveted Sword of Honor.
He held several key military positions, including Director of Personnel, Command and Staff College, Quetta; brigade major of an infantry brigade deployed to Kel; staff officer, grade 2 at the CGS secretariat; and Chief of Staff of the Mangla Corps. He also served as quartermaster general at headquarters.
Field Marshal Munir commanded the 23rd Border Force Regiment and an infantry brigade, and served as force commander in the northern areas, Gilgit.
He held senior intelligence positions, including Director General of Military Intelligence (MI) and Head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). After heading the ISI, he was appointed commander of the Gujranwala Corps and then quartermaster general – his last assignment before becoming army chief.
He graduated from the Fuji School, Japan; Command and Staff College, Quetta; Malaysian Armed Forces College, Kuala Lumpur; and National Defense University, Islamabad. He also holds a master’s degree in public policy and strategic security management from the National Defense University.
Marshal Munir is the first army chief to receive the Sword of Honor. He is a keen sportsman, an avid reader, a traveler and a Hafiz-e-Quran.
