PM Shahbaz sends appointment summary of Asim Munir as COAS, CDF to President

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has forwarded the summary for the appointment of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir as both Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) to the President for formal approval.

As per the summary, Field Marshal Asim Munir will hold the positions of COAS and CDF simultaneously for a tenure of five years, making him Pakistan’s first-ever Chief of Defence Forces.

The Prime Minister has also approved a two-year extension in the tenure of Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu.

The extension will take effect after the completion of his current five-year term in March 2026.

Earlier, Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Federal Information Minister Atta Tarar held a joint press conference to dismiss speculation surrounding the CDF appointment.

They described the delay as “a storm in a teacup” and clarified that the matter was part of the formal process, which would be completed soon. They explained that the delay was due to the Prime Minister’s absence from the country.

Azam Nazeer Tarar confirmed that there is no ambiguity under Article 243 or the laws governing the Army, Navy, and Air Force, and the President makes appointments strictly on the Prime Minister’s advice.

He added that under the 2024 amendments, the tenure was extended from three to five years, and the new Scheme of Laws allows a single notification to be issued for both the Army Chief and Chief of Defence Forces.