Field Marshal Asim Munir appointed Pakistan's first CDF

Islamabad: President Asif Ali Zardari has approved the Prime Minister’s summary for the appointment of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir as the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF).

The approval confirms that Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, currently serving as Chief of Army Staff, will also take on the role of Chief of Defence Forces for a five-year tenure.

He will be the first-ever officer to hold the CDF position in Pakistan.

President Zardari has also approved a two-year extension in the tenure of Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu as Chief of Air Staff.

The extension will take effect after the completion of his current five-year tenure, starting from 19 March 2026.

The President conveyed his best wishes to both the Army Chief, who will now also serve as CDF, and the Chief of Air Staff for their upcoming responsibilities.

Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had forwarded the summary for Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir’s appointment as Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces to the President for approval.

The summary outlined the five-year tenure and emphasized that this marks the establishment of the country’s first-ever Chief of Defence Forces position.