ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved a summary appointing Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir as the new chief of defense forces (CDF) and chief of army staff (COAS) on Thursday and has sent it to the president for approval, a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said on Thursday.
The CDF’s post was created under the 27th constitutional amendment approved by Pakistan’s parliament last month. The new position replaces the office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), which was formally abolished on Nov. 27 with the retirement of General Sahir Shamshad Mirza. Under the amendment and subsequent changes to the Army Act, the army chief will simultaneously serve as the CDF for a five-year term.
The notification of Munir’s appointment as the country’s first CDF was expected to coincide with the abolition of the CJCSC post. However, when it was not issued on Nov. 27, it invited speculations of alleged tensions between the government and the armed forces. Defense Minister Khawaja Asif last week dismissed the speculation, saying the notification of Munir’s new appointment will be issued after Sharif returns from his trip to the UK “in due course of time.”
