Pakistan Formalises Asim Munir’s Role as First-Ever Chief of Defence Forces

New Delhi, Dec 5: Pakistan has officially appointed Field Marshal Asim Munir as the country’s first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), a newly created and significantly powerful military post that centralises control over all three armed services and the National Strategic Command.

President Asif Ali Zardari approved Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recommendation, confirming Munir as both Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) and CDF for a tenure of five years, the President’s office said in a post on X.

The CDF role—established through the recent 27th Constitutional Amendment—abolishes the earlier post of Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) and places Munir at the apex of Pakistan’s military structure, giving him oversight over the country’s nuclear arsenal and missile systems.

The appointment follows intense speculation over Sharif’s decision to expand Munir’s authority, especially with his original three-year term as Army Chief ending on November 29.

The President also approved a two-year service extension for Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, effective from March 19, 2026.

Asim Munir, elevated to the five-star rank of Field Marshal earlier this year, becomes the first officer in Pakistan’s history to simultaneously serve as COAS and CDF. He is only the second to hold the Field Marshal title after General Ayub Khan.