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The government on Friday moved another step towards completing the restructuring of its higher military command initiated under last year’s 27th Constitutional Amendment by appointing Gen Syed Aamer Raza as the country’s first Commander of the National Strategic Command (CNSC), a newly created four-star office that will oversee the operational integration of Pakistan’s strategic forces.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif promoted Gen Raza from the rank of lieutenant general and simultaneously appointed him to the new position.
The office of Commander NSC was created through the 27th Constitutional Amendment enacted in November last year, which fundamentally altered Pakistan’s higher defence architecture by abolishing the office of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and creating the new position of chief of defence forces, concurrently held by the chief of army staff. Field Marshal Asim Munir became the country’s first chief of defence forces following the constitutional changes.
Under the Army Act, the CNSC is appointed by the prime minister on the recommendation of the CDF from among serving army generals, and serves a three-year term.
