ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Thursday approved a law operationalizing the new unified command of the Pakistan military, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) announced in a statement, saying that the Act will be presented in parliament for approval during its ongoing session. 

Pakistan’s parliament passed the contentious 27th Constitutional Amendment in November 2025. The amendments introduced changes to Article 243 of Pakistan’s constitution, creating the new post of the Chief of Defense Forces. It also abolished the role of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), empowering the army chief to become the constitutionally recognized head of Pakistan’s armed services.

The approval was given following a meeting of the federal cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The PMO said the cabinet approved the Defense Forces Act 2026, noting that it has been prepared as a continuation of the amendments earlier introduced through the 27th Constitutional Amendment.

“It aims to define the relevant administrative matters concerning the office of the Chief of Defense Forces and the Chief of Defense Forces Headquarters,” the PMO said in a press release. 

It said that following the cabinet’s approval, the draft Defense Forces Act 2026 will be presented before the parliament for approval during its ongoing session.

Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir assumed the role of Chief of Defense Forces in December 2025 after the constitutional amendments were signed into law last year. 

Munir holds the post simultaneously with his existing position as Chief of Army Staff. The Chief of Defense Forces’ role 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.

Sharif’s office said the cabinet also approved amendments to the National Command Authority Act 2010, saying they were deemed necessary following the 27th Constitutional Amendment

The National Command Authority (NCA) is a top-level government body chaired by the prime minister, which exercises control over nuclear security and other aspects. The PMO did not specify the amendments introduced to the National Command Authority Act 2010. 

The PMO said that the National Command Authority Act 2010 will also be presented in parliament for approval.