In a major update to Pakistan’s military leadership structure on 4 December 2025, the government not only appointed Field Marshal Asim Munir as the first ever Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), but also approved a two-year extension in the service tenure of Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu. The extension will begin after his current five-year term ends in March 2026, keeping him at the helm of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) until March 2028.
The decision was formally notified by the Ministry of Defence, citing the need for “continuity, stability and institutional readiness” amid sweeping structural reforms in the armed forces.Government sources say this move ensures that the Air Force — one of Pakistan’s key defence pillars — remains under experienced leadership during this transitional period.
For PAF, the extension brings reassurance: under Sidhu’s command, the air force recently underwent several modernisation drives, strategic deployments, and readiness enhancements. Continuity at the top can help sustain ongoing projects and maintain morale during broader restructuring at military command level. Observers say the extension, along with the CDF change, reflects the government’s intent to strike a balance between institutional overhaul and operational stability. As the nation enters a new chapter of defence architecture, the extended tenure of the PAF chief adds a thread of consistency to a sweeping shift.
