DUBAI: Pervez Musharraf, former army chief and ex-president of Pakistan, has announced in Dubai a political alliance with Pakistan Sunni Tehreek.
According to a press statement released by his office, Musharraf, who has started his own political party, the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), will be contesting the next general election with the alliance of Pakistan Awami Ittehad. Pakistani Sunni Tehreek is the newest addition to the alliance.
Speaking to a press conference at his residence in Dubai, Musharraf said that the earlier, judicial system in the country had not been performing the way it should, but the situation was now different. “Pakistan needs me at this hour. I will be definitely returning to the country before the election and lead the alliance.”
Musharraf said he did not want to hold any public office (such as president or prime minister) but wanted to lead the government through his ideas and vision so that the country could progress quickly.
Dr. Mohammed Amjad, who is president of Musharraf’s party, said that Musharraf was now leading the alliance of more than 23 political powers and had become a strong political power.
Sarwat Ijaz Qadri, president of Pakistani Sunni Tehreek, said that Musharraf had proved that he was a visionary leader. “Our party has always been a supporter of Musharraf and will continue to do so. Pakistan needs a brilliant leader like Musharraf to tackle the crisis in the country. He has proved himself to be the best leader.”
In November last year, Musharraf announced a political alliance of 23 political and religious parties under the Pakistan Awami Ittehad title.
Pakistan Sunni Tehreek joins Musharraf’s alliance
Pakistan Sunni Tehreek joins Musharraf’s alliance
Pakistan army chief assumes role as first Chief of Defense Forces, signaling unified command
- New role is held simultaneously with Gen Asim Munir’s existing position as Chief of Army Staff
- It is designed to centralize operational planning, war-fighting doctrine, modernization across services
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s most senior military officer, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, formally took charge as the country’s first Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) on Monday, marking a structural change in Pakistan’s defense command and placing the army, navy and air force under a single integrated leadership for the first time.
The new role, held simultaneously with Munir’s existing position as Chief of Army Staff, is designed to centralize operational planning, war-fighting doctrine and modernization across the services. It reflects a trend seen in several advanced militaries where a unified command oversees land, air, maritime, cyber and space domains, rather than service-level silos.
Pakistan has also established a Chief of Defense Forces Headquarters, which Munir described as a “historic” step toward joint command integration.
In remarks to officers from all three forces after receiving a tri-services Guard of Honor at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, Munir said the military must adapt to new theaters of conflict that extend far beyond traditional ground warfare.
He stressed the need for “a formalized arrangement for tri-services integration and synergy,” adding that future war will involve emerging technologies including cyber operations, the electromagnetic spectrum, outer-space platforms, information warfare, artificial intelligence and quantum computing.
“He termed the newly instituted CDF Headquarters as historic, which will afford requisite integration, coherence and coordination to meet the dynamics of future threat spectrum under a tri-services umbrella,” the military quoted Munir as saying in a statement.
The ceremony also included gallantry awards for Pakistan Navy and Air Force personnel who fought in Marka-e-Haq, the brief May 2025 conflict between Pakistan and India, which Pakistan’s military calls a model for integrated land, air, maritime, cyber and electronic combat. During his speech, Munir paid tribute to the personnel who served in the conflict, calling their sacrifice central to Pakistan’s defense narrative.
The restructuring places Pakistan closer to command models used by the United States, United Kingdom and other nuclear-armed states where a unified chief directs inter-service readiness and long-range war planning. It also comes at a time when militaries worldwide are re-engineering doctrine to counter threats spanning satellites, data networks, information space and unmanned strike capabilities.
