Pakistan Chief of Defence Forces: Asim Munir Becomes First Officer To Command Army, Navy and Air Force Under New Law
Pakistan's National Assembly has for the first time in the country's history passed a law granting a single military officer legal command over the army, navy and air force together, marking the most significant restructuring of Pakistan's military command structure since 1976.
Pakistan's National Assembly has for the first time in the country's history passed a law granting a single military officer legal command over the army, navy and air force together, marking the most significant restructuring of Pakistan's military command structure since 1976. The Defence Forces of Pakistan Act, 2026, cleared the National Assembly in late August and created the new post of Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), a position now held by Field Marshal Asim Munir, who will continue to serve as army chief alongside his new role.
What Is The CDF Post
The CDF replaces the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, a post created in 1976 that only coordinated between the three services and carried no legal authority to command the navy or air force. The last time that coordinating role went to a non-army officer was 1997. The CDF is different in kind, carrying statutory operational command across all three services and reporting directly to the federal government, with enforcement powers the old post never had. JD Vance's Viral India-Pakistan Remark: Why He Called His Wife and Asim Munir the Most Important People in His Life (Watch).
A retired three-star general based in Rawalpindi told Al Jazeera the law creates a properly written chain of command from the prime minister down to units on the ground, something that never existed on paper before. Retired general Naeem Khalid Lodhi described the CDF as 'a real commander,' a description he said would not have fit the old coordinating post.
Is The Army Gaining Too Much Power
Analysts remain split on what the change means internally. Analyst Majid Nizami said the nuclear-forces command post must now come from the army by law, formally closing off a role the navy and air force could technically have held before. The same retired three-star general described the overall system as 'unmistakably army-centric,' while a former strategic planning official warned that career decisions across the navy and air force will now run through an army-led command. Asim Munir Assassination Plot? Pepe Escobar Alleges Pakistan Intelligence Stopped Mossad Plan.
Does This Weaken Civilian Oversight
Lawyer and former officer Colonel Inam Raheim said the CDF can now dismiss officers by letter alone, without the cabinet summary once required. Karachi lawyer Abdul Moiz Jaferii argued the law makes one service chief subordinate to another despite their formal equality, adding that Pakistan lacks a court independent enough to test the question. Supreme Court advocate Hafiz Ahsaan Ahmad Khokhar, however, compared the law to similar legislation in the UK, Canada and Australia, though he noted that in those countries the equivalent post rotates between services rather than sitting permanently with the army chief.
Pakistan has said the restructuring is built around three goals: tighter coordination across land, air, sea, cyber and drone operations, ending the old system where each service ran largely on its own, and faster decision-making during a crisis, with one officer now able to direct all three services at once.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 05, 2026 04:06 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
