The Ministry of Defence officially informed on Friday about the appointment of Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir as the country’s first chief of defence forces (CDF). This announcement came a day after President Asif Ali Zardari approved it following Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s advice.
The notification, available with Dawn, stated: “By using the powers given under Article 243 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973, along with Section 8A of the Pakistan Army Act, the president, advised by the prime minister, appoints Field Marshal Asim Munir (NI) M as the chief of army staff and simultaneously the chief of defence forces for a term of five years.”
Another notification from the ministry confirmed Zardari’s approval of the prime minister’s recommendation regarding the leadership of the air force.
“By using the powers given under Article 243 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973, alongside Section 10B of the Pakistan Air Force Act, 1953, the president, advised by the prime minister, extends the appointment of Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar (NI) M as chief of the air staff for two more years, starting March 19, 2026,” noted another notification.
This extension begins after his present five-year term ends in March next year, continuing until March 2028.
The army chief now holds the title of the first CDF, representing the most extensive restructure of military command since the 1970s.
This new setup unifies operational, administrative, and strategic authority within a single office created through changes to Article 243 of the Constitution via the 27th Amendment.
The revised Article 243 provides that the president, acting on the prime minister’s advice, shall appoint the chief of the army staff, who will concurrently serve as the chief of defence forces.
The amendment also abolished the office of chairman joint chiefs of staff committee (CJCSC), dismantling the tri-service coordination system in place since 1976 and transferring joint command integration to the CDF.
PM Shehbaz, in a post on X, again congratulated Field Marshal Munir on his “historic” appointment.
“As the sentinel of our nation’s security, his leadership has been pivotal in guiding our brave armed forces to a decisive victory in the battle for truth,” he said.
“The people of Pakistan will always remember his bold and courageous leadership in wartime, that unified the armed forces, galvanised the entire nation and secured a historic victory for our homeland,” he said.