The government of Pakistan Armed Forces has formally appointed Field Marshal Asim Munir as the country’s first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), ending decades of a tri-service command structure.
On December 4, 2025, Asif Ali Zardari, acting on the advice of Shehbaz Sharif, signed off on the summary recommending Munir’s appointment. The change comes after a constitutional reform under the 27th Constitutional Amendment, which abolishes the previous post of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC).
Under the new arrangement, Munir will hold a dual role: continuing as Chief of Army Staff (COAS) while assuming full command over all three service branches, army, navy and air force, as CDF. He has been given a fresh five-year term in this combined role, starting from the date of his notification.
The government says this structural shift aims to streamline command, improve coordination among the services, and strengthen national defence decision-making. The amendments to the Pakistan Army Act, 1952 reflect the legal groundwork for this overhaul.
Simultaneously, the tenure of Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu, the current Chief of Air Staff, has been extended by two years beyond March 2026, consolidating stability at the top of the armed forces.
This landmark move marks a sweeping change in Pakistan’s military command structure. The creation of the CDF role ends a nearly 50-year system of tri-service coordination under the CJCSC and may substantially alter how military strategy and joint operations are planned and executed in the coming years.
