ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s civilian leadership has formally approved the appointment of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir as the country’s first Chief of Defense Forces (CDF), with both President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif endorsing the new top military role, according to official statements issued Thursday.
The president approved the five-year appointment after receiving the summary from the prime minister, confirming that Munir will concurrently serve as Chief of the Army Staff.
President Zardari also endorsed a two-year extension for Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, to take effect when his current tenure ends on March 19 next year. He conveyed “best wishes” to both senior officers for “their successful tenures,” according to the President’s Secretariat.
PM Sharif also congratulated Munir, calling the appointment “aligned with contemporary and modern warfare requirements,” adding that it would “further strengthen the country’s defense.”
“Under Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir’s leadership, our brave armed forces have dealt a decisive defeat to the enemy,” the prime minister said, praising what he described as a “remarkable victory” that had “enhanced Pakistan’s prestige and honor worldwide.”
Sharif separately congratulated Air Chief Marshal Sidhu on his extension, saying the Pakistan Air Force had demonstrated “exceptional professional skills” under his command, claiming that its operations had “destroyed enemy warplanes and asserted dominance.”
The prime minister said all national institutions would continue to work together for “Pakistan’s defense, development, and prosperity,” adding: “Together, we will make the country’s defense invincible.”
