Pakistan Appoints Asim Munir As Chief Of Defence Forces With ‘No Retirement Age’ | World News

Field Marshal Asim Munir has been officially appointed as Pakistan’s first Chief of Defense Forces (CDF), a newly created and powerful military position in the country. Notably, earlier the Chief of Defense Staff retired at the age of 64, but with the 27th Amendment to the Constitution, there is now no retirement age limit as the CDF appointment will be for five years with multiple extensions of five years as desired by the government.

In an “President Asif Ali Zardari approved the appointment of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir as COAS and also as CDF for a period of 5 years,” the official X branch of the President of Pakistan said in the post. he said.

The CDF’s position consolidates authority over all three branches of service (Army, Navy and Air Force) and includes oversight of the National Strategic Command, which manages the country’s nuclear weapons and missile systems, making Munir the most powerful military figure in the country.

The appointment comes after much speculation on whether Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is willing to hand over more powers to Asim Munir. The Sharif government was supposed to announce the appointment of the country’s first Chief of General Staff on November 29, when Munir’s three-year term as chief of general staff was due to end.

The role of the Chief of Defense Forces was established last month under the 27th Amendment to the Constitution, which aims to centralize military command. The new position replaces the now abolished Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC).

Additionally, the Pakistani president also approved a two-year extension in the service of Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, effective from March 19, 2026.

Asif Ali Zardari extended his best wishes to both officers of the Pakistan Armed Forces.

Asım Münir, who was promoted to the rank of Marshal this year, will also serve as Chief of General Staff in addition to his CDF duties. He is the first military officer in Pakistan’s history to hold both the five-star rank of Field Marshal and the combined command of COAS and CDF simultaneously. He is the second officer in the country’s history to receive the title of Field Marshal, after General Ayub Khan, who led Pakistan in the war with India in 1965. (With inputs from IANS)