Islamabad_ The Ministry of Defence on Friday officially notified Field Marshal Asim Munir as Pakistan’s first Chief of Defence Forces, confirming a major change in the country’s military structure. The notification came a day after President Asif Ali Zardari approved the appointment on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
According to the document issued by the ministry, “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.”
This appointment makes Chief of Defence Forces Asim Munir the first person to hold the newly created position, which brings operational, administrative and strategic authority under one office. This change was introduced through the 27th Constitutional Amendment, the most significant restructuring of Pakistan’s military command since the 1970s.
A second notification also confirmed an extension for the air chief. It stated: “In exercise of the powers conferred by Article 243 of the Constitution 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.”
Under the revised Article 243, the president will appoint the army chief, who will also serve as the chief of defence forces, on the prime minister’s advice. The Defence Ministry said this restructuring aims to streamline command and ensure better coordination across the armed forces.