RAWALPINDI-UNS:The Ministry of Defence on Friday officially notified Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir as the country’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.
The notification, a copy of which is available with Dawn, said: “In exercise of the powers conferred under Article 243 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973, read with Section 8A of the Pakistan Army Act, the president on the advice of the prime minister, is pleased to appoint Field Marshal Asim Munir (NI) M as the chief of army staff, concurrently the chief of defence forces for a tenure of five years.”
A separate notification issued by the ministry also notified Zardari’s approval of the prime minister’s advice regarding the leadership of the air force.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by Article 243 of the Consitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973, read with Section 10B of the Pakistan Air Force Act, 1953, the president on the advice of the prime minister is pleased to extend the appointment of Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar (NI) M, as chief of the air staff for a tenure of two years with effect from March 19, 2026,” a separate notification said.
The extension will take effect upon completion of his current five-year term in March next year, keeping him in office until March 2028.
The army chief has been named the first CDF in 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.
