Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir to be officially addressed as Chief of Defence Forces from today

Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir will now be formally addressed as Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) in addition to his role as Chief of Army Staff (COAS) from today.

All official documentation, military correspondence and media reports will use this unified title of the Chief of Defence Forces and the Chief of Army Staff.

On November 15, President Asif Ali Zardari signed the Pakistan Army, Air Force and Navy Amendment Bills 2025 into law after they had already been passed by parliament.

According to the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, the army chief will simultaneously serve as the head of the defence forces for a five-year term. As a result, Field Marshal Munir’s tenure will restart from the date the fresh notification is issued.

The law also stipulates that the provisions of Article 243—which apply to a Field Marshal—will extend to any General elevated to that rank. Additionally, the federal government may empower the vice chief of army staff or deputy chief of army staff to perform the COAS’s duties if authorised through written orders issued on the CDF’s recommendation.

The amendments further specify that once the first notification establishing the dual role is released, the sitting army chief’s tenure will be considered to have begun anew from that date.

The federal government will outline the responsibilities of the CDF, which will include overseeing multi-domain integration, restructuring efforts and enhancing joint operations across Pakistan’s armed forces.