Overview
- President Asif Ali Zardari signed the Army, Air Force, and Navy amendment acts passed under the 27th Constitutional Amendment, bringing the restructuring into law.
- The Army chief will also serve as Chief of the Defence Forces with authority over joint operations, with duties set by the federal government and tenure beginning upon official notification.
- The Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee post is abolished effective November 27, 2025, marking a fundamental shift in the higher defence architecture.
- The laws provide for a National Strategic Command in which the Prime Minister appoints a Commander on the CDF’s recommendation for a three-year term, reappointable for three more years, with such extensions shielded from court challenges.
- Supporters frame the reform as modernization and unity of command, while critics warn of power concentration, diminished Navy and Air Force autonomy, and constitutional concerns over limits on judicial review.