ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir has said that Pakistan is steadily moving toward improvement and is poised to “soar to greater heights from here.” He gave these remarks during an informal interaction with journalists at Aiwan-e-Sadr.
His statement came shortly after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif forwarded a summary to President Asif Ali Zardari recommending Munir’s appointment as Pakistan’s first-ever Chief of Defence Forces (CDF). According to a press release from the Prime Minister’s Office, the premier approved Munir’s appointment as both COAS and CDF for a period of five years before sending the summary for presidential approval.
The PMO also confirmed that Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu has been granted a two-year extension, effective after the completion of his current five-year tenure in March 2026.
Earlier, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar stated that the notification for the CDF appointment was expected imminently and urged the public to avoid unnecessary speculation. He stressed that there was no political disagreement regarding the process.
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah highlighted the strategic importance of the new CDF institution, noting that the relevant law had been amended for its creation and that rules and regulations for the role were still being carefully crafted.
Government officials, including Dr Tauqir Shah and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, also rejected speculation about delays or civil–military tensions. They clarified that establishing a new institutional framework required time and that rumours linking the notification to any rifts were baseless.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif similarly dismissed conjecture last week, assuring that the CDF appointment would be announced at the appropriate time.
