Islamabad: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari approved the appointment of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir as the country's first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) for five years.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's recommendation for Munir to serve concurrently as Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) and CDF received presidential approval, the President's office announced on X. "President Asif Ali Zardari approved the appointment of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir as COAS concurrently as CDF for 5 years," the official post stated.

The decision followed speculation over Sharif's reluctance to grant Munir expanded authority, with the notification originally expected on November 29 when Munir's three-year army chief term expired. The CDF role was created last month via the 27th Constitutional Amendment to centralise military command.

Zardari also approved a two-year extension for Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, effective from March 19, 2026, and extended best wishes to both officers.

Munir, elevated to Field Marshal this year, will retain his COAS position alongside CDF duties, becoming only the second officer to hold the rank after Gen. Ayub Khan.

Earlier delays in notification prompted comments from India's former National Security Advisory Board member Tilak Devasher, who suggested Sharif was avoiding the decision by travelling to Bahrain and London.

"Very smartly, Pakistan PM had gone to Bahrain and from there, he pushed off to London," Devasher told ANI. "He is deliberately staying out of this because he clearly doesn't want to issue the notification giving Asim Munir 5 years as Army chief and as Chief of Defence Forces. He thinks that by keeping away from Pakistan and not having to sign the notification, he can escape the consequences."

Devasher noted the delay created a constitutional vacuum, leaving Pakistan without an army chief or nuclear command structure.

WIth inputs from ANI