Chief of the Army Staff (Pakistan)

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Chief of the Army Staff
Flag of the Chief of the Army Staff (Pakistan).svg
Flag of the Chief of the Army Staff
Field Marshal Asim Munir.jpg
since 29 November 2022
Flag of the Pakistani Army.svg  Pakistan Army
StatusProfessional head of land forces branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces
AbbreviationCOAS
Member of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee
National Security Council
Special Investment Facilitation Council
Reports to Flag of the President of Pakistan.svg President of Pakistan
Flag of the Prime Minister of Pakistan.svg Prime Minister of Pakistan
State emblem of Pakistan.svg Minister of Defence
Residence General Headquarters (Rawalpindi Cantonment)
Seat Rawalpindi, Punjab
NominatorPrime Minister of Pakistan
AppointerPresident of Pakistan
Term length 5 years
(renewable once)
Constituting instrument Constitution of Pakistan (Article 243)
Precursor Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army
Formation3 March 1972;53 years ago (1972-03-03)
First holder Tikka Khan
SuccessionSubjected to nomination by the Prime Minister
Unofficial namesArmy Chief
Deputy Chief of the General Staff
SalaryAccording to Pakistan military officer's pay grade (apex scale)
Website Official website

The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) is a statutory position in the Pakistan Army held by its professional head, which is usually a four-star general, appointed by the President on the Prime Minister's nomination. The COAS serves ex officio as the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), the professional head of the Pakistan Armed Forces. As the highest-ranking officer, it is the most powerful position in the land army; and due to the influence of the military, the position is seen as the most powerful office in the country. [a]

Contents

This is the senior-most appointment in the army and the officeholder serves as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, usually consulting the chiefs of the aerial and naval branches to act as a military adviser to the Prime Minister and the federal government in the line of defending the land borders of the country. [7] The Chief of the Army Staff exercises responsibility of command and control of the operational, combatant, logistics, and training commands within the army. [7]

The appointment, in principle, is constitutionally subjected to be for 5 years after the approval by the President on the recommendations of the Prime Minister. [8] The COAS is based in the General Headquarters within the Rawalpindi Cantonment in Rawalpindi, Punjab. The incumbent COAS is Field Marshal Asim Munir, serving in this capacity since 29 November 2022. [9] [10]

Office of the Chief of the Army Staff

The designation of the Chief of the Army Staff was created from the previous title Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army in 1972.[ citation needed ] The Prime Minister approves the nomination and appointment of the Chief of Army Staff, with President confirming the Prime Minister's appointed choosing and nomination. [11]

The army leadership is based in the GHQ whose functions are supervised by the Chief of Army Staff, assisted by the civilians from the Army Secretariat of the Ministry of Defence (MoD). [12] The Chief of Army Staff exercises the responsibility of complete operational, training and logistics commands.: 131  [13] [ self-published source? ]

Typically, the Chief of Army Staff is a four-star full general. However, two Chiefs of Army Staff— Ayub Khan and Syed Asim Munir— were promoted to the five-star field marshal rank. [1]

There are several principle staff officers (PSO) who assist in running the operations of the Army GHQ:

List of Chiefs of the Army Staff

No.PortraitChief of Army StaffTook officeLeft officeTime in officeUnit of Commission
01
Tikka Khan.png
Khan, Tikka General
Tikka Khan
HQA HJ SPk
(1915–2002)		3 March 19721 March 19763 years, 364 days 2 Fd Regt Arty
02
General Muhammad Zia-Ul-Haq.jpg
Zia-ul-Haq, Muhammad General
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
GSM OHA ORM OSJ OIn OYS
(1924–1988)		1 March 197617 August 198812 years, 169 days 13 Lancers
03
Mirza Aslam Beg.png
Beg, Mirza General
Mirza Aslam Beg
NI(M) SBt
(born 1928)		17 August 198816 August 19912 years, 364 days 16 Baloch
04
Asif Nawaz Janjua.png
Janjua, Asif General
Asif Nawaz Janjua
NI(M) SBt
(1937–1993)		16 August 19918 January 1993 †1 year, 145 days 5 Punjab
05
Abdulwaheedkakar.jpg
Kakar, Abdul General
Abdul Waheed Kakar
NI(M) SBt
(born 1937)		11 January 199312 January 19963 years, 1 day 5 FF / 27 AK
06
Jehangir Karamata.png
Karamat, Jehangir General
Jehangir Karamat
NI(M) TBt
(born 1941)		12 January 1996 6 October 1998 2 years, 267 days 13 Lancers
07
PervezMusharraf.jpg
Musharraf, Pervez General
Pervez Musharraf
NI(M) TBt
(1943–2023)		6 October 199829 November 20079 years, 53 days 16 (SP) (The Dashing Sixteen)
08
Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.png
Kayani, Ashfaq Parvez General
Ashfaq Pervez Kayani
NI(M) HI(C)
(born 1952)		29 November 200729 November 20136 years 5 Baloch
09
General Raheel Sharif.jpg
Sharif, Raheel General
Raheel Sharif
NI(M) HI(M)
(born 1956)		29 November 201329 November 20163 years 6 FF
10
General Qamar Javed Bajwa.jpg
Bajwa, Qamar General
Qamar Javed Bajwa
NI(M) HI(M)
(born 1960)		29 November 201629 November 20226 years 16 Baloch
11
Field Marshal Asim Munir.jpg
Munir, Asim Field Marshal
Syed Asim Munir Ahmed Shah
NI(M) HJ HI(M)
(born 1968)		29 November 2022Incumbent3 years, 8 days 23 FF

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

References

  1. 1 2 Hussain, Abid (21 May 2025). "Pakistan promotes army chief Asim Munir to field marshal: Why it matters". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 26 June 2025. How rare is the field marshal rank? Very. In Pakistan, a full general – denoted by four stars – is usually the standard rank for the army chief [...] Munir is only the second [Chief of Army Staff] – after Ayub Khan – to be promoted to field marshal.
  2. ↑ "Pakistan Extends Term For Powerful Army Chief". Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. 19 August 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  3. ↑ "Lt Gen Raheel appointed as new COAS, Lt Gen Rashad as CJCSC". The News. 27 November 2013. Archived from the original on 1 December 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  4. ↑ Ellis-Petersen, Hannah; Baloch, Shah Meer (10 May 2025). "Who is Gen Asim Munir, the army chief leading Pakistan's military amid India crisis?". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  5. ↑ Leahy, Joe; Jilani, Humza (18 June 2025). "Pakistan's strongman courts US while drawing closer to China". Financial Times. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  6. ↑ Masood, Salman (5 May 2025). "Pakistan's Most Powerful Man Steps Out of the Shadows to Confront India". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  7. 1 2 Shabbir, Usman (2003). "Command and Structure control of the Pakistan Army". pakdef.org. PakDef Military Consortium. Archived from the original on 7 January 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  8. ↑ "Will retire on November 29, Kayani confirms". The Express Tribune. 6 October 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  9. ↑ "Gen Bajwa to hand over command to Gen Munir today". DAWN. 29 November 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  10. ↑ "Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa to hand over command to Gen Syed Asim Munir shortly". GEO TV. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  11. ↑ Zahra-Malik, Drazen Jorgic and Mehreen (26 November 2016). "Pakistan PM Sharif names General Bajwa as new army chief". Reuters UK. Archived from the original on 27 November 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  12. ↑ MoD, Ministry of Defence. "Organogram of MoD" (PDF). mod.gov.pk/. Ministry of Defence Press. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 September 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  13. ↑ Pakistan Intelligence, Security Activities and Operations Handbook - Strategic Information and Developments. Lulu.com. 2009. p. 230. ISBN   9781438737225 . Retrieved 24 July 2017.[ self-published source ]
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