In address to officers, CDF Asim Munir says all 3 forces will maintain their internal autonomy: state media

Following his appointment as the country’s first chief of defence forces (CDF), Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir said on Monday that all three services of the armed forces — the army, air force and navy — would maintain their “internal autonomy and organisational structure”.

According to state-broadcaster PTV News, Field Marshal Munir made this statement during an address to the officers of all three services.

Hailing the establishment of Defence Forces Headquarters as a “historic, foundational change”, the CDF emphasised that multi-domain operations must be improved under the unified armed services, in light of evolving security threats.

“The establishment of the Defence Forces Headquarters is an essential step towards this change,” Field Marshal Munir stated. “Each service will maintain its individuality for its operational readiness, [while] the Defence Forces Headquarters will integrate and coordinate the operations of the services.”

The CDF then turned his attention to India and Afghanistan, saying that the former should not “fall prey to any misconception, as Pakistan’s response will be much more swift and severe”.

“A clear message has been given to the Taliban regime that they have no option but to choose between the khawarij mischief-makers or Pakistan,” he said of Kabul.

The CDF reiterated Pakistan’s stance as a peaceful nation but warned that nobody would be allowed to test Islamabad’s territorial integrity or sovereignty

“Let everyone know that the idea of Pakistan is invincible, and its protection is ensured by the firm resolve of faithful, brave soldiers and a united nation,” Field Marshal Munir stated.

Guard of honour

Earlier today, Field Marshal Munir was presented with a guard of honour at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf and Chief of the Air Staff of Pakistan Air Force Zaheer Ahmad Babar were also present at the ceremony.

According to state-broadcaster PTV, the army chief was presented with the guard of honour by contingents from all three armed forces, in recognition of his elevation to the position of CDF.

On Friday, the army chief was notified as the country’s first CDF, in what is considered the most sweeping restructuring of the military command since the 1970s.

The new arrangement consolidates operational, administrative and strategic authority in a single office established through amendments to Article 243 of the Constitution under the 27th Amendment.

The revised Article 243 provides that the president, acting on the prime minister’s advice, shall appoint the chief of the army staff, who will concurrently serve as the chief of defence forces.

The amendment also abolished the office of chairman joint chiefs of staff committee (CJCSC), dismantling the tri-service coordination system in place since 1976 and transferring joint command integration to the CDF.

To translate the constitutional overhaul into the military’s legal framework, the government amended the Pakistan Army Act (PAA) of 1952 in the wake of the 27th Amendment.

Sub-section (i) of PAA’s Article 8A now states that “for the first appointment of the chief of the army staff concurrently the chief of the defence forces […], the tenure under this section shall commence from the date of notification of the said office”.

It explains that upon the issuance of the notification for the first COAS-plus-CDF, the “existing tenure of the incumbent chief of the army staff shall be deemed to have recommenced from the date of such notification”.

Under sub-section (iii) of Article 8A, the “terms and conditions” of the COAS concurrently with the CDF shall be determined by the president on the prime minister’s advice.

Field Marshal Munir was appointed army chief on Nov 29, 2022, becoming the 17th army chief to assume the command of the Pakistan Army.

In November 2024, the government brought changes to the PAA, extending the tenure for all three services chiefs from three to five years, keeping the CJCSC’s tenure unchanged at three years. The same amendments allowed the services chiefs to be reappointed and/or their tenures to be extended for up to five years, instead of up to three years.

Therefore, in line with the restructuring under the 27th Amendment, the recent PAA changes allow the president, on the prime minister’s advice, to reappoint the COAS-plus-CDF for another five years, or extend his tenure by up to five years, creating legal space for him to retain his position till December 2035.