Summary for COAS Munir’s appointment as CDF sent to presidency for approval: PM Office

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday sent a summary to President Asif Ali Zardari for appointing Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir as Pakistan’s first chief of defence forces (CDF).

The CDF position, created under the 27th Constitutional Ame­nd­ment, will replace the now-abolished office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) chairman, which formally ended on November 27. It would be a dual-hatted position combined with the office of the army chief.

According to a press release by the PM Office, the prime minister approved the summary for the appointment of Field Marshal Munir as the army chief and the CDF, and then referred it to the President House.

Field Marshal Munir’s appointment for both roles is for a period of five years, the statement said.

PM Shehbaz also approved a two-year extension in the tenure of Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, which will be effective from the completion of his current five-year tenure in March 2026.

Last week, the defence minister said the notification would be issued “in the due course of time” and urged people to refrain from speculation. Officials and observers had expe­cted the new notification to coincide with CJCSC post’s abolition.

Another pending decision is the appointment of the commander of the National Strategic Command, a new four-star position created to assume nuclear manager role previously exercised by CJCSC.

Source : Dawn