ISLAMABAD: Outgoing Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza paid a farewell call on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, as he prepares to retire on November 27, 2025, as the 18th and last officer to hold the post.
In the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised Gen Mirza’s professional competence and services to the country and the armed forces, acknowledging his role in overseeing joint military matters during a period of regional and internal security challenges.
Gen Mirza is retiring upon completion of his constitutionally mandated three-year tenure, which began on November 27, 2022. Officials also note that he is reaching the age of superannuation for a four-star general, making his departure both a procedural and symbolic turning point for Pakistan’s military command structure.
His retirement coincides with a major constitutional change. Under the 27th Constitutional Amendment, the office of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee will be formally abolished from November 27, 2025. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar had earlier told parliament that no new CJCSC would be appointed after Gen Mirza completes his term.
The amendment introduces a new top-tier command arrangement. The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), currently Field Marshal Asim Munir, will assume the additional role and title of Chief of Defence Forces, consolidating oversight of the three services. Parallel changes will see the introduction of the titles Marshal of the Air Force and Marshal of the Naval Force for the heads of the Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan Navy, respectively.
According to the government, the restructuring aims to streamline the higher defence organisation, centralise strategic decision-making, and more clearly align operational authority with service chiefs under a unified defence leadership.
In the lead-up to his retirement, Gen Mirza has been paying farewell visits to various military headquarters, including Naval Headquarters and other key formations, in a traditional round of engagements marking the end of his service as Pakistan’s senior-most tri-services officer.
