Chief of Defence Forces: guard of honour presented to Field Marshal Asim Munir

WEB DESK: A formal ‘Guard of Honour’ ceremony was held at General Headquarters (GHQ) on Monday in honour of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military), Hilal-e-Jurat, who was recently appointed as Pakistan’s inaugural Chief of Defence Forces.

The dignified ceremony saw a tri-services contingent, representing the Pakistan Army, Navy, and Air Force, presenting the Guard of Honour to the Field Marshal. The appointment marks a historic restructuring of the country’s military command, unifying the three services under a single leadership.

The ceremony was attended by high-ranking military officials, including the Chief of the Naval Staff and the Chief of the Air Staff.

As the Guest of Honour, Field Marshal Asim Munir received a General Salute from the ceremonial guard. He later inspected the Guard of Honour, which stood in recognition of his new and pivotal role.

On December 4, President Asif Ali Zardari had approved the appointment of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir as Pakistan’s first-ever Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), a new five-year post created by the 27th Constitutional Amendment. The position, which replaces the abolished Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, is effective immediately. Field Marshal Munir will concurrently serve as Chief of Army Staff.

In a related decision, the President had also approved a two-year extension for Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, effective March 2026. Following the approval, the new CDF stated that “things are moving in the right direction” and expressed confidence that “Pakistan will now soar to greater heights.”