- President Zardari approves COAS Munir’s appointment as CDF.
- Air Chief Marshal Sidhu gets two-year extension of office.
- 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 Staff (CDF).
President Asif Ali Zardari approved Field Marshal Munir’s appointment as chief of the defense forces following a summary sent earlier in the day by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The top army official – who was promoted to the rank of field marshal earlier this year – will concurrently serve as the chief of army staff for five years.
COAS Munir was elevated to the rank of Field Marshal – Pakistan’s second and first in more than six decades – after the country’s resounding victory over India in the May War.
Moments before his appointment, COAS Munir said that henceforth Pakistan would soar to greater heights.
“Everything is fine; it is all ahead of you. Things are moving towards improvement and Pakistan will now soar to greater heights from here,” he told reporters during an informal conversation at Awain-e-Sadar in Islamabad.
Separately, President Zardari also approved a two-year extension of Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu’s tenure. The extension will take effect when his current five-year term ends in March 2026.
While approving the two summaries, the President extended “best wishes to the COAS, concurrently the Chief of Defense Forces” and the PAF chief for their successful tenure, according to a statement issued by the Presidential Secretariat.
The establishment of a new military title follows President Zardari’s assent on 15 November to the Pakistan Army, Air Force and Navy (Amendment Bill 2025) Bills, following 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 rank.
The Federal Government may authorize the Deputy Chief of Army Staff or the Deputy Chief of Army Staff to exercise the powers of the COAS under written orders issued on the recommendation of the Chief of Defense Forces (CDF).
The legislation further stipulates that once the first notification for the dual office of COAS and CDF is issued, the tenure of the incumbent COAS will be deemed to have restarted from the date of this notification.
The federal government will determine the CDF’s specific duties and responsibilities, which will include multi-domain integration, restructuring and ensuring cohesion across 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-in-Chief of the National Strategic Command.
The Prime Minister may appoint the Commander-in-Chief from among serving generals of the Pakistan Army 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 post.
A brief look at Field Marshal Munir’s military career
Field Marshal Munir, Pakistan’s new CDF, was commissioned into the 23rd Frontier Force Regiment in 1986. He passed out with the 17th Officer Training Course at Mangla and was awarded the coveted Sword of Honour.
He has held several important military posts including Chief of Staff at the Command and Staff College, Quetta; brigade major in a deployed infantry brigade in Kel; General Staff Officer, Grade-2 at the CGS Secretariat; and Chief of Staff of the Mangla Corps. He also served as quartermaster general at headquarters.
Field Marshal Munir has commanded 23 Frontier Force Regiment and an infantry brigade and has served as Force Commander in Northern Areas, Gilgit.
He has held top intelligence posts, including Director General of Military Intelligence (MI) and Head of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). After heading the ISI, he was posted as Corps Commander Gujranwala and then as Quartermaster General – his last assignment before becoming Army Chief.
He graduated from Fuji School, Japan; Command and Staff College, Quetta; Malaysian Armed Forces College, Kuala Lumpur; and National Defense University, Islamabad. He also holds an MPhil in Public Policy and Strategic Security Management from the National Defense University.
Field Marshal Munir is the first army chief to be awarded the Sword of Honour. He is a keen sportsman, avid reader, traveler and a Hafiz-e-Quran.
