General Munir becomes Pakistan's first-ever Chief of Defence Forces

Field Marshal Asim Munir has been formally appointed as Pakistan's first-ever Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), a position that was established last month to improve coordination among the army, navy and air force.

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The Ministry of Defence on Friday formally announced the appointment of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir as the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and extended the tenure of Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu by two years. Both notifications were issued following presidential approval on the recommendation of the prime minister. The appointment is for a period of five years.

Earlier, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif's office said in a statement that a summary for the appointment of Field Marshal Asim Munir as both chief of army staff and chief of defence forces had been sent to President Asif Ali Zardari for approval. The president then approved the appointment, confirming Munir's expanded role. "The appointment is for a period of five years," the statement said.

Shahbaz also approved a two-year extension for Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar, the statement said.