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Munir Installed as Pakistan’s First Chief of Defence Forces as Command Is Centralized

The overhaul centralizes command under a fixed five-year term, prompting rights warnings about eroded civilian oversight.

Overview

  • Parliament passed and the president ratified the 27th Amendment, which unifies the army chief’s role with a new Chief of Defence Forces post and abolishes the CJCSC.
  • Government and media reports state the unified CDF–COAS title is now in use across official documents and communications.
  • Several outlets report the public gazette notification for the CDF appointment is pending, creating uncertainty over the formal start date of the five-year tenure, with a ceremony expected next week according to sources.
  • The changes create a National Strategic Command and empower the CDF to oversee the army, navy, air force and the nuclear command, with the prime minister appointing the CNSC on the CDF’s recommendation.
  • UN human-rights chief Volker Türk and Pakistan’s HRCP say the hastily adopted reforms weaken judicial independence and checks and balances, with reporting also pointing to legal immunity provisions for five-star officers.