Pakistan Appoints Asim Munir as First Chief of Defence Forces After Constitutional Amendment

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday approved the appointment of Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir as the country's first Chief of Defense Forces (CDF). He has been given this responsibility for a tenure of five years. In a photo released in Rawalpindi, Field Marshal Munir was seen offering floral tributes and offering prayers at the martyrs' memorial at the Army Chief's headquarters. This felicitation ceremony was organized after his promotion.

The recommendation was sent by the Prime Minister

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formally sent a summary to the President, recommending Munir to be the country's first CDF. After this the president approved this appointment.

Why was the new post created?

Last month, Parliament passed the 27th Constitutional Amendment, under which the post of CDF was created. Its objective is to create a unified command across all parts of the Army and increase the speed of decisions in times of crisis. After this amendment, the post of Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) has been abolished. CDF will now replace him.

The president congratulated

A statement issued by the President's Office said that Zardari conveyed his good wishes to Field Marshal Munir after getting the approval. Along with this, he has also approved a two-year extension in the service period of Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Siddu, which will be effective from March 19, 2026.

When was Munir made COAS?

Field Marshal Asim Munir was made the Army Chief for the first time in November 2022 for a period of three years. His term of service was extended by five years in 2024. The speculation that had been going on for the last few weeks regarding the appointment of CDF ended with this decision. The post was vacant after the retirement of CJCSC General Sahir Shamshad Mirza on November 27.

There was no legal obstruction

A few days ago, Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar clarified that there is no legal or political obstacle in the appointment of CDF, and its notification will be issued soon. Now, a major change in the structure of the Pakistan Army has been officially implemented after the approval of the President.