Pakistan’s military command structure has undergone a significant transformation with the appointment of Field Marshal Asim Munir as the nation’s first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF). The five-year appointment, sanctioned by President Asif Ali Zardari upon the recommendation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, sees Munir retain his position as Chief of Army Staff while taking on this overarching leadership role. This strategic development is underpinned by the recent 27th Constitutional Amendment, which created the CDF post and made the former Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee redundant. Field Marshal Munir’s leadership trajectory includes his initial three-year appointment as Army Chief in November 2022, followed by a five-year extension granted in 2024. In parallel, the tenure of Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu has been extended by two years, effective from March 2026. This institutional change marks a new era in Pakistan’s military organization.
