The federal government may authorise the Vice Chief of Army Staff or Deputy Chief of Army Staff to exercise the powers of the COAS under written orders issued on the recommendation of the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF)
DNA
ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Thursday appointed Field Marshal Asim Munir as Pakistan’s first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF).
The top army official — who was promoted to the Field Marshal rank earlier this year — will simultaneously hold the office of Chief of Army Staff, according to a notification issued from the President’s Office.
President Asif Ali Zardari approved Field Marshal Munir’s appointment as the CDF following a summary sent earlier in the day by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The unification of the two key military titles follows President Zardari’s assent on November 15 to the Pakistan Army, Air Force, 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 the rank.
The federal government may authorise the Vice Chief of Army Staff or Deputy Chief of Army Staff to exercise the powers of the COAS under written orders issued on the recommendation of the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF).
The legislation further stipulates that once the first notification for the dual office of COAS and CDF is issued, the incumbent COAS’ tenure will be considered to have recommenced from the date of that notification.
The federal government will determine the specific duties and responsibilities of the CDF, which will include multi-domain integration, restructuring, and ensuring jointness across the armed forces.
A significant structural change introduced under the amendment is the abolition of the post of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), which will now be replaced by the Commander of the National Strategic Command. The Prime Minister may appoint the Commander from among serving Pakistan Army generals for a three-year term, 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 country’s last occupant of the position.
