President Zardari appoints Asim Munir as country’s first chief of defence forces

The Pakistani government on Thursday appointed Asim Munir as the country’s first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF). President Asif Ali Zardari approved Munir’s appointment as the Chief of Defence Forces after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sent him a summary earlier in the day recommending the appointment of Munir as CDF. Munir, who was elevated to the rank of field marshal, will concurrently serve as Chief of Army Staff for five years. The prime minister approved the summary for the appointment of Munir “as the chief of army staff and the chief of defence forces” and then referred it to the President House. Munir’s appointment for both roles is for a period of five years, the statement said.

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Separately, President Zardari also approved a two-year extension in the tenure of Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu. The extension will come into effect once his ongoing five-year term concludes in March 2026.

President Zardari gave his assent to the Pakistan Army, Air Force, and Navy (Amendment) Bills 2025, on November 15 after their approval by parliament.

The federal government will determine the specific duties and responsibilities of the CDF, which will include multi-domain integration and restructuring.

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A significant structural change is the abolition of the post of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), which will now be replaced by the Commander of the National Strategic Command.

The prime minister may appoint the Commander from among serving Pakistan Army generals for a three-year term, based on the recommendation of the COAS/CDF.

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“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,” Munir told journalists during an informal conversation in Islamabad.

Munir was commissioned in the 23rd Frontier Force Regiment in 1986. He passed out with the 17th Officers Training Course at Mangla.

He has held several key military positions, including directing staff at 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 General Headquarters.

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Munir also held top intelligence positions, including Director General of Military Intelligence (MI) and head of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).