Islamabad, 4 Dec

President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday approved the appointment of the army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, as Pakistan’s first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) for a five-year term.

Zardari cleared the summary sent by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, formally requesting that Chief of the Army Staff Munir be named the first CDF under the newly created post.

Parliament last month passed the 27th Constitutional Amendment to create the CDF role to ensure unity of command and faster decision-making during critical situations. The CDF replaces the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, a post that has now been abolished.

The President extended his best wishes to Munir, a release from his office said.

Zardari also approved a two-year extension for Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, Chief of Air Staff, effective from the end of his current tenure on 19 March, 2026.

According to the PM Office, the prime minister had earlier approved the summaries for Munir’s appointment as army chief and CDF before forwarding them to the President House.

Field Marshal Munir was appointed as COAS in November 2022 for three years, and his tenure was extended to five years in 2024.

 The issuance of the formal notification ends speculation over delays in naming the CDF, a position due since 27 November, when the last CJCSC, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, retired.

Earlier, Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar said there was no legal or political hurdle to the notification and that it would be issued soon.