Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Sunday dismissed speculation regarding a pending notification for the appointment of the newly-created Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) post, asserting the process has been initiated and will be completed in due time.
Introduced through the 27th Amendment, the CDF post takes on the responsibilities previously held by the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, which has been abolished. Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir will serve jointly as the CDF. According to the government, the new post aims to ensure multi-domain integration, necessary restructuring, and optimum jointness of the armed forces.
Under the 27th Amendment, the tenure of the Army chief will recommence for five years with the issuance of a new notification as CDF.
“There is unnecessary and irresponsible speculation about CDF notification,” Asif wrote in a post on X amidst social media commentary on its delay. “Please be informed that the process has been initiated. P.M. is returning shortly,” he said.
The minister stressed the notification would be issued in due course, stressing there is “no room for conjecture.”