President Zardari signs Armed Forces Amendment Bills into paw

President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday signed the Pakistan Army, Air Force and Navy Amendment Bills 2025 into law, formalising major structural changes across the armed forces following their approval by parliament earlier this week.

According to notifications issued on the social media platform X, the president approved the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill 2025, the Pakistan Air Force (Amendment) Bill 2025 and the Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bill 2025. The legislation was presented by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and was passed by both the National Assembly and the Senate.

A key feature of the Army Amendment Bill is the introduction of the role of Chief of the Defence Forces (CDF), a position that will be held concurrently by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) for a five-year term. Under the law, Field Marshal Asim Munir’s tenure will restart from the date a fresh notification is issued. The amendments also clarify that once the notification for the dual office is issued, the COAS’ tenure will be deemed to have recommenced.

The bill empowers the federal government to delegate certain COAS powers to the Vice Chief or Deputy Chief of Army Staff through written orders based on the CDF’s recommendations. Additionally, the government will define the CDF’s responsibilities, including force integration, joint operational planning and organisational restructuring.

A major restructuring approved under the Army law is the abolition of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC). The position will be replaced by a new role — the Commander of the National Strategic Command.