Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday sent a summary to President Asif Ali Zardari recommending the appointment of Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir as Pakistan’s first chief of defence forces (CDF).
The CDF position, created under the 27th Constitutional Amendment, will replace the now-abolished office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) chairman, which formally ended on November 27. It would be a dual-hatted position combined with the office of the army chief.
The prime minister today approved the summary for the appointment of Field Marshal Munir “as the chief of army staff and the chief of defence forces”, and then referred it to the President House, said a press release by the PM Office (PMO).
Field Marshal Munir’s appointment for both roles is for a period of five years, the statement said.
PM Shehbaz also approved a two-year extension in the tenure of Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, which will be effective from the completion of his current five-year tenure in March 2026, the PMO added.
On Sunday, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the notification for the CDF appointment would be issued “in the due course of time” and urged people to refrain from speculation over it.
The next day, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the government would issue the notification in the coming days, but that he was already “holding the office in all respects”.
Tarar had linked the delay to PM Shehbaz not being in the country, explained that notifying the new CDF is the defence ministry’s job, and they have to coordinate with the PMO.
Officials and observers had expected the new notification to coincide with CJCSC post’s abolition.
Another pending decision is the appointment of the commander of the National Strategic Command, a new four-star position created to assume nuclear manager role previously exercised by CJCSC.
More to follow
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