- Field Marshal Munir will simultaneously serve as COAS, CDF.
- Titles unified under Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill.
- The federal government will determine the duties and responsibilities of the CDF.
ISLAMABAD: Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir will be officially appointed as Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) along with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) from today. The newsreported on Friday.
The change will be mentioned in all official documents, military references and media reports of the unified office of Chief of the Defense Forces and Chief of the Army Staff.
The unification of the title comes as President Asif Ali Zardari, on November 15, gave his consent to the Pakistan Army, Air Force and Navy Amendment Bills 2025 following their approval by Parliament.
According to the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, the COAS will simultaneously serve as Chief of Defense Forces for five years. Field Marshal Munir’s tenure will restart from the date the new notification is issued.
The provisions of article 243 applicable to a Field Marshal will also apply to a General promoted to the rank. The federal government may authorize the deputy chief of staff of the Army or the deputy chief of staff of the Army to exercise COAS powers, through written orders issued on the recommendation of the CDF.
The legislation further clarified that once the first notification for dual office is issued, the tenure of the incumbent COAS will be deemed to have restarted from the date of that notification.
The federal government will now determine the duties and responsibilities of the CDF, including multi-domain integration, restructuring and ensuring unity among the armed forces.
An important structural change approved in the bill is the abolition of the position of chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), which will 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 period of three years, on the recommendation of the COAS/CDF.
Furthermore, the CJCSC post has ceased to exist under the 27th Constitutional Amendment, with General (retd) Sahir Shamshad Mirza retiring as the country’s last CJCSC on Wednesday.
