The Pakistani government has introduced the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill in the Senate, proposing significant changes to the country’s military command structure and constitutional framework. The bill, tabled on Saturday, November 8, seeks to abolish the office of the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), and create a new post of Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), positioning the Army Chief as the head of Pakistan’s armed forces.
27th Constitutional Amendment to create post of CDF
Dawn reported that the proposed amendment rewrites Pakistan’s Article 243 of the Constitution, which governs the control and command of the armed forces. Under the proposed amendment, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of Pakistan would concurrently serve as the Chief of Defence Forces, making the army chief the constitutionally recognised head of all three services: the Army, Navy and Air Force. This move effectively consolidates military command under the Army Chief, as the bill seeks to abolish the current office of the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC).
Furthermore, the bill proposes that the President of the country will appoint the army, naval and air chiefs on the advice of the Prime Minister, while the army chief would serve simultaneously as Chief of Defence Forces. Another important feature of this amendment is the creation of a Commander of National Strategic Command, responsible for overseeing Pakistan’s nuclear and strategic assets. And, this position would be filled by an officer from the army, appointed by the Prime Minister on the recommendation of the Chief of Defence Forces.
Office of the CJCSC is set to be abolished on November 27, when the tenure of the incumbent, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, comes to an end. No new appointment would be made to that post thereafter, as the Chief of Defence Forces would take over its functions, Dawn reported.
What’s next for Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir?
If the bill is passed, the current Pakistan Chief of Army Staff, Syed Asim Munir who was elevated to Field Marshal following the India-Pakistan confrontation in May would assume the post of Chief of Defence Forces (CDF). If enacted, the 27th Constitutional Amendment would mark one of the most significant overhauls of Pakistan’s military command system since the constitutional battles of the 1980s, redefining the balance between civilian authority and the military’s constitutional role, as per Dawn.
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