Why Pakistan overhauled its military command structure after five decades

What the report says

Pakistan has formally rewritten its military command structure through legislation passed by parliament in late August, a change that Al Jazeera says gives statutory backing to the new Chief of Defence Forces role and marks the biggest overhaul of higher command since 1976. The laws were approved in Islamabad on August 20, after being cleared by cabinet the same morning, and follow the 27th constitutional amendment passed last November.

The changes abolish the longtime Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee post and replace it with a Defence Forces Headquarters led by the Chief of Defence Forces, currently Field Marshal Asim Munir, who also remains army chief. Under the new framework, the chief has operational command and control across the armed forces, including authority linked to senior appointments and to the National Strategic Command, which oversees Pakistan’s nuclear-capable forces.

Al Jazeera reports that the overhaul has prompted debate over civil-military balance and whether the system is becoming more army-centric. Several analysts and former officers quoted by the outlet say the shift could weaken the role and identity of the navy and air force, since key posts are now tied more directly to the army-led command chain. The article places the reform in the context of Pakistan’s long history of military dominance in politics and notes it comes a little over a year after the country’s brief conflict with India in May 2025.