PM Shehbaz promotes Lt Gen Aamer Raza to four-star rank, appoints him National Strategic Command chief

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has promoted Lieutenant General Aamer Raza, HI(M), SBt, Chief of the General Staff of the Pakistan Army, to the rank of four-star general and appointed him as Commander National Strategic Command.

The Prime Minister announced the promotion and appointment on Friday.

Congratulating General Raza on assuming the new rank and responsibility, PM Shehbaz wished him success in carrying out his new role.

General Raza had been serving as the Chief of the General Staff of the Pakistan Army before his elevation to the rank of four-star general. His appointment as Commander National Strategic Command places him in charge of one of the country’s key strategic military responsibilities.

A look at Lieutenant General Aamer Raza’s career

General Aamer Raza was commissioned in 1988 and is a graduate of the Command and Staff College, Quetta, and the National Defence University (NDU), Islamabad. He also holds a degree in International Relations from the University of Nottingham.

General Raza was appointed Chief of General Staff at GHQ in January 2025. He has also served as Commander IV Corps and as Chairman of Heavy Industries Taxila.

The significance of the post of Commander National Strategic Command

It may be recalled that last year’s 27th Constitutional Amendment brought major changes to the military’s chain of command. Under the same amendment, the post of Commander National Strategic Command was created to take over the nuclear manager’s role previously held by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), a post which was abolished from November 27, 2025.

The position is therefore considered highly significant in terms of the country’s strategic capabilities and national defence policy.

Under the amendment, the appointment, reappointment and extension in tenure of the Commander National Strategic Command are carried out on the recommendation of the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF).

The CDF is itself a new post, established under the 27th Amendment to create a unified command structure for the armed forces. Following the amendment’s passage, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who was serving as Chief of Army Staff, was appointed the country’s first Chief of Defence Forces.

The Pakistan Army Act specifies that the appointment, reappointment or extension in tenure of the Commander National Strategic Command as “exercise of discretion by the appointing authority in this regard, shall not be called into question before any court on any ground whatsoever”.