RAWALPINDI: Effective immediately, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir will be officially recognized as the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) alongside his existing role as Chief of Army Staff (COAS).
This change is part of the recent amendments to military legislation and will be reflected in all official documents, military references, and media reports, signifying the unified office of the CDF and COAS.
The unification of these titles follows the assent of President Asif Ali Zardari on November 15 to the Pakistan Army, Air Force, and Navy Amendment Bills 2025, passed by Parliament. Under the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, the COAS will serve simultaneously as the CDF for a period of five years. Munir’s tenure will be considered to have restarted from the date the new official notification is issued.
Provisions outlined in Article 243, applicable to a Field Marshal, will also apply to generals promoted to that rank. Additionally, the government may authorize the vice or deputy chief of army staff to exercise the powers of the COAS based on written directives from the CDF.
The legislation clarifies that once the dual-office notification is issued, the tenure of the current COAS will be deemed to have recommenced from that date. The government will now define the roles and responsibilities of the CDF, including tasks related to multi-domain integration, restructuring, and fostering jointness across the armed forces.
A significant structural change introduced by the bill is the abolition of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) position, which will be replaced by the Commander of the National Strategic Command. The prime minister will appoint this commander from among serving Pakistan Army generals for a three-year term, based on recommendations from the COAS/CDF.
Furthermore, the post of CJCSC has officially been eliminated under the 27th Constitutional Amendment, with General (retd) Sahir Shamshad Mirza retiring on Wednesday as the last person to hold the title.
