ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Defence on Friday formally issued the notification appointing Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir as Pakistan’s first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), a day after President Asif Ali Zardari approved the appointment on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
According to a statement from the Presidency, “President Asif Ali Zardari approved the appointment of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir as COAS concurrently as CDF for five years.”
Field Marshal Munir’s elevation — Pakistan’s second field marshal and the first in more than six decades — followed the country’s claimed victory over India in the May conflict. His appointment marks a major restructuring within the military hierarchy, with the CDF now serving as the top coordinating authority for tri-service integration and joint operations.
PAF Chief Granted Two-Year Extension
In a separate notification, the defence ministry extended the service of Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu by two years. His extension will take effect after the conclusion of his current five-year term in March 2026.
The President’s Secretariat said President Zardari conveyed his “best wishes to the COAS, concurrently the Chief of Defence Forces, and the PAF chief” upon approving the summaries.
Just moments before the notification was issued, COAS Munir told journalists during an informal interaction at Aiwan-e-Sadr that Pakistan was poised for progress. “Everything is fine; it’s all in front of you. Things are moving towards improvement, and Pakistan will now soar to greater heights from here,” he said.
Amendments Redefine Military Structure
The new post of CDF stems from the Pakistan Army, Air Force and Navy (Amendment) Bills 2025, which received presidential assent on November 15 after parliamentary approval. The amendments extend the powers of Article 243 — which defines the authority of a field marshal — to any general promoted to that rank.
Under the new framework, the federal government may authorise the Vice Chief of Army Staff or Deputy Chief of Army Staff to exercise the powers of the COAS through written orders issued on the recommendation of the CDF.
The legislation also states that once the first notification for the dual office of COAS and CDF is issued, the incumbent COAS’ tenure is deemed to have restarted from that date. The federal government will outline the duties of the CDF, including multi-domain integration, restructuring, and ensuring jointness across all branches of the armed forces.
A major structural change under the amendment is the abolition of the office of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), which has been replaced by the position of Commander National Strategic Command. The commander will be appointed by the prime minister from among serving Pakistan Army generals for a three-year term based on the COAS/CDF’s recommendation.
Following the 27th Constitutional Amendment, the CJCSC post officially ceased to exist, with General (retd) Sahir Shamshad Mirza retiring as its last occupant.
Field Marshal Munir: A Career Profile
Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Pakistan’s first CDF, was commissioned into the 23rd Frontier Force Regiment in 1986 after completing the 17th Officers Training Course at Mangla.
He has held key instructional and command assignments, including directing staff at the Command and Staff College, Quetta; brigade major of a deployed infantry brigade in Kel; general staff officer grade-2 at the CGS Secretariat; and chief of staff of Mangla Corps. He also served as Quartermaster General at the GHQ.
Munir has commanded his parent regiment, led an infantry brigade, and served as Force Commander in the Northern Areas, Gilgit. He has held senior intelligence roles as Director General of Military Intelligence (MI) and Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). After heading the ISI, he commanded the Gujranwala Corps before returning to GHQ as Quartermaster General — his last assignment before becoming army chief.
He is an alumnus of the Fuji School in Japan, Command and Staff College in Quetta, Malaysian Armed Forces College in Kuala Lumpur, and the National Defence University in Islamabad. He holds an MPhil in Public Policy and Strategic Security Management from NDU.
A keen sportsman and avid reader, Field Marshal Munir is also a Hafiz-e-Quran.
