PRESIDENT Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday approved the appointment of army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir as Pakistan’s first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) for a five-year term.
The President signed the summary sent by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who had formally recommended that Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Munir be appointed as the first CDF of Pakistan.
Parliament last month passed the 27th Constitutional Amendment to create the post of CDF to ensure unity of command and expedite decision-making in critical situations.
The new role replaces the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), which has been abolished.
A statement from the President’s Office said the President extended his best wishes to Munir.
Zardari also approved a two-year extension in the service of Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, Chief of Air Staff, effective after his current tenure ends on March 19, 2026.
According to the PM Office, the prime minister had earlier approved the summary for the appointment of Field Marshal Munir as the army chief and the CDF before forwarding it to the President House.
Munir was appointed COAS in November 2022 for three years, and his tenure was extended for five years in 2024.
The formal notification ends speculation about delays in appointing the CDF, which had been pending since November 27, when outgoing CJCSC General Sahir Shamshad Mirza retired.
Earlier, Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar said at a press conference that there was “no legal or political obstacle regarding the notification of the appointment of the Chief of Defence Forces” and that the notification would be issued soon.
