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The Pakistan government on Thursday appointed Asim Munir as the country’s first Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS). His tenure on both the posts will be five years. The appointment was approved by President Asif Ali Zardari.
Munir is the first military officer of Pakistan to hold both CDF and COAS posts simultaneously. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had sent a summary to the President recommending the appointment. Munir was promoted to the post of Field Marshal in the same year.
Apart from this, a two-year extension was also approved for Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu, which will be effective after the completion of his current five-year tenure in March 2026.
On November 12, the Pakistani Parliament passed the 27th constitutional amendment to increase the strength of the army. Under this, Munir was made CDF. As soon as he got this post, he also got the command of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, that is, he became the most powerful person in the country.
Become army chief in 2022
In fact, on 29 November 2022, General Asim Munir was appointed Army Chief. His original tenure was of three years, i.e. ending on 28 November 2025.
Notification to appoint Munir as CDF was to be issued by November 29, when media reports had claimed that Shehbaz Sharif had distanced himself from the process so that he would not have to sign the order for the new appointment of Asim Munir.
Last year itself, Parliament had passed a law increasing the tenure of the Army Chief from 3 to 5 years. Therefore legally his position was not in danger.
chief of staff CDF post was created in place of
In the constitutional amendment made last month, the post of CDF was created in place of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), which will maintain coordination between the three services.
After the retirement of CJCSC Shahid Shamshad Mirza on November 27, Asim Munir has not been able to become CDF till now.
Former security advisor said – Shahbaz deliberately distanced himself from this
Meanwhile, India’s former National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) member Tilak Devasher, while talking to ANI, has claimed that PM Shehbaz Sharif did this deliberately.
Devasher expressed concern that Asim Munir may try to create any tension against India to show his strength.
He said that even though it is not officially clear whether Munir is now the Army Chief or not, he still has so much influence that he can get anything done.
According to Devasher, Pakistan itself is unsure about who the Army Chief is and if Munir gets the idea of putting pressure on India or instigating any incident, the situation will become more dangerous.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Nawaz Sharif were present at the National Assembly session on 12 November.
Opposition said- Shahbaz no longer has control over the army
Commenting on the matter, opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had said, ‘This delay proves that Shahbaz Sharif no longer has control over the army.’
People’s Party senator Raza Rabbani had asked, “Is there some unspoken veto power working even after the Constitution?” Many former generals said that not receiving the notification is insulting.
Nuclear command in the hands of the army
A very special part of the 27th Constitutional Amendment is the formation of the National Strategic Command (NSC). This command will monitor and control Pakistan’s nuclear weapons and missile systems.
Till now this responsibility was with the National Command Authority (NCA), which was headed by the Prime Minister, but from now on the responsibility will be with the NSC.
Although the commander of NSC will be appointed with the approval of the Prime Minister, this appointment will be done only on the recommendation of the Chief of Army Staff (CDF). Most importantly, this post will be given only to Army officers.
With this, the control of the country’s nuclear weapons will now be completely in the hands of the army.
United Nations worried about Asim Munir’s power
The United Nations has expressed concern about the constitutional amendment in Pakistan. UN Human Rights Agency (UNHR) High Commissioner Volker Turk has warned that the 27th constitutional amendment could weaken the independence of the judiciary.
Turk issued a statement on Friday saying that this change could also weaken the essential legal rules (rule of law) which maintain law and order in the country. At the same time, on November 30, Pakistan rejected Turkey’s concerns as baseless and false apprehension.
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