Chief of the Army Staff (Pakistan)

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. 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. The Chief of the Army Staff exercises responsibility of command and control of the operational, combatant, logistics, and training commands within the army. 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. 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.