In his first address as the chief of defence forces (CDF), Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir on Monday hailed the newly instituted CDF Headquarters as “historic”, stating that it would better integrate the three armed services — the army, navy and air force — to keep pace with the dynamics of future threats.
Addressing a ceremony at GHQ, the newly-appointed CDF emphasised the need for a formal arrangement for tri-services integration and synergy and highlighted that the armed forces have to remain aligned with new aspects of warfare, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The CDF highlighted emerging spheres in warfare, such as cyberspace, the electromagnetic spectrum, outer space, information operations, artificial intelligence and quantum computing, which Pakistan needs to keep up with.
CDF Field Marshal Munir further highlighted that the multi-domain operations carried out during the brief war with India in May have now become a textbook example and case study for future warfare.
“While addressing the officers of the tri services, [the CDF] reiterated the extraordinary courage and conviction displayed by the complete Pakistani nation, particularly the professionalism of the valiant men and women of the Armed Forces of Pakistan during Marka-i-Haq,” the ISPR’s statement read, adding that he paid homage to martyrs.
State broadcaster PTV News reported that according to the CDF, all three services of the armed forces would maintain their “internal autonomy and organisational structure”.
He also emphasised that multi-domain operations must be improved under the unified armed services, in light of evolving security threats.
“The establishment of the Defence Forces Headquarters is an essential step towards this change,” Field Marshal Munir stated. “Each service will maintain its individuality for its operational readiness, [while] the Defence Forces Headquarters will integrate and coordinate the operations of the services.”
The CDF then turned his attention to India and Afghanistan, saying that the former should not “fall prey to any misconception, as Pakistan’s response will be much more swift and severe”.
“A clear message has been given to the Taliban regime that they have no option but to choose between the khawarij mischief-makers or Pakistan,” he said of Kabul.
The CDF reiterated Pakistan’s stance as a peaceful nation but warned that nobody would be allowed to test Islamabad’s territorial integrity or sovereignty
“Let everyone know that the idea of Pakistan is invincible, and its protection is ensured by the firm resolve of faithful, brave soldiers and a united nation,” Field Marshal Munir stated.
According to the ISPR, in his closing remarks, the CDF envisaged the armed forces as a “culturally futuristic, combat-ready military machine that deters aggression and enjoys [the] full confidence of the nation”.
Guard of honour
Earlier today, Field Marshal Munir was presented with a guard of honour at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.
Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf and Chief of the Air Staff of Pakistan Air Force Zaheer Ahmad Babar were also present at the ceremony.
According to state-broadcaster PTV, the army chief was presented with the guard of honour by contingents from all three armed forces, in recognition of his elevation to the position of CDF.
On Friday, the army chief was notified as the country’s first CDF, in what is considered the most sweeping restructuring of the military command since the 1970s.
The new arrangement consolidates operational, administrative and strategic authority in a single office established through amendments to Article 243 of the Constitution under 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.
To translate the constitutional overhaul into the military’s legal framework, the government amended the Pakistan Army Act (PAA) of 1952 in the wake of the 27th Amendment.
Sub-section (i) of PAA’s Article 8A now states that “for the first appointment of the chief of the army staff concurrently the chief of the defence forces […], the tenure under this section shall commence from the date of notification of the said office”.
It explains that upon the issuance of the notification for the first COAS-plus-CDF, the “existing tenure of the incumbent chief of the army staff shall be deemed to have recommenced from the date of such notification”.
Under sub-section (iii) of Article 8A, the “terms and conditions” of the COAS concurrently with the CDF shall be determined by the president on the prime minister’s advice.
Field Marshal Munir was appointed army chief on Nov 29, 2022, becoming the 17th army chief to assume the command of the Pakistan Army.
In November 2024, the government brought changes to the PAA, extending the tenure for all three services chiefs from three to five years, keeping the CJCSC’s tenure unchanged at three years. The same amendments allowed the services chiefs to be reappointed and/or their tenures to be extended for up to five years, instead of up to three years.
Therefore, in line with the restructuring under the 27th Amendment, the recent PAA changes allow the president, on the prime minister’s advice, to reappoint the COAS-plus-CDF for another five years, or extend his tenure by up to five years, creating legal space for him to retain his position till December 2035.
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