- President Zardari approves appointment of COAS Munir as CDF.
- “Air Chief Marshal Sidhu gets two-year extension to his tenure”.
- Pakistan will soar, Field Marshal Munir tells reporters.
ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Thursday appointed Field Marshal Asim Munir as Pakistan’s first Chief of Defense Forces (CDF).
President Asif Ali Zardari approved the appointment of Field Marshal Munir as Chief of Defense Forces following a summary sent earlier in the day by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The army’s top officer, who was promoted to the rank of field marshal earlier this year, will simultaneously serve as Chief of the Army Staff for five years.
COAS Munir was elevated to the rank of field marshal (Pakistan’s second and first in over six decades) following the country’s resounding victory over India in the May War.
Moments before his appointment, COAS Munir said that Pakistan would henceforth reach greater heights.
“Everything is fine, everything is before you. Things are getting better and Pakistan will now rise to greater heights from here,” he told reporters during an informal conversation at the Awain-e-Sadar in Islamabad.
Separately, President Zardari also approved a two-year extension in the tenure of Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu. The extension will take effect once his current five-year term concludes in March 2026.
Approving the two summaries, the President extended “his best wishes to the COAS, at the same time the Chief of the Defense Forces” and the chief of the PAF for their successful tenures, according to a statement issued by the President’s Secretariat.
The establishment of a new military title follows President Zardari’s approval on November 15 of the Pakistan Army, Air Force and Navy (Amendment) Bills, 2025, following their approval by Parliament.
Under the amended provisions, Article 243, which regulates the powers and responsibilities of a field marshal, will also apply to any general promoted to the rank.
The federal government may authorize the Vice Chief of the Army Staff or the Deputy Chief of the Army Staff to exercise the powers of the COAS under written orders issued on the recommendation of the Chief of the Defense Forces (CDF).
The legislation further stipulates that once the first notification is issued for the dual office of COAS and CDF, the tenure of the COAS holder will be deemed to have restarted from the date of that notification.
The federal government will determine the specific duties and responsibilities of the FDC, which will include multi-domain integration, restructuring and ensuring unity among the armed forces.
A significant structural change introduced under the amendment is the abolition of the position of Chairman of the 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 the serving Pakistan Army Generals for a period of three years, as per 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 last holder of the post in the country.
A brief look at Field Marshal Munir’s military career
Field Marshal Munir, Pakistan’s new CDF, was commissioned into the 23rd Regiment of the Border Force in 1986. He passed out at the 17th Officer Training Course in Mangla and was awarded the coveted Sword of Honour.
He has held several key military positions including Personnel Director at Command and Staff College, Quetta; brigade major of an infantry brigade deployed in Kel; staff officer, grade 2 in the CGS secretariat; and chief of staff of Mangla Corps. He also served as Quartermaster General at Headquarters.
Field Marshal Munir has commanded the 23rd Frontier Force Regiment and an infantry brigade, and has served as force commander in the northern areas, Gilgit.
He has held senior intelligence positions, including Director General of Military Intelligence (MI) and head of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). After heading the ISI, he was posted as Commander of the Gujranwala Corps and then Quartermaster General, his last assignment before becoming army chief.
Graduated from Fuji School, Japan; Command and General Staff College, Quetta; Malaysian Armed Forces College, Kuala Lumpur; and National Defense University, Islamabad. He also has a master’s degree in Public Policy and Strategic Security Management from the National Defense University.
Field Marshal Munir is the first army chief to receive the Sword of Honor. He is a keen sportsman, an avid reader, a traveler and a Hafiz-e-Quran.
