Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir Ahmed Shah (born 1968) is a Pakistani military officer who is currently serving as Pakistan's first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and the 11th Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the Pakistan Army concurrently. Prior to becoming the COAS, he was posted at the GHQ as quartermaster general. He is the first army chief of Pakistan who has previously headed both the Military Intelligence and Inter-Services Intelligence.
During his early military career, he was posted in Saudi Arabia, where he memorised the Quran and became a hafiz. He received the Sword of Honour for his performance as a cadet in the Officers Training School (OTS), Mangla. He commanded the XXX Corps in Gujranwala from 17 June 2019 to 6 October 2021. He served as the 28th Director-General of the ISI until he was replaced by Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed on 16 June 2019.Reshuffle in army top brass 17 June 2019, The Nation. On 20 May 2025, Munir was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal for his leadership during the 2025 India–Pakistan conflict, becoming the second-ever person to attain the rank in Pakistan's history after Ayub Khan, and the only field marshal to serve as the Chief of Army Staff simultaneously.
Munir is a recipient of the Hilal-e-Jurat, Pakistan's second-highest gallantry award. On 4 December 2025, he was appointed the first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The post is a dual-hatted role held concurrently with the COAS, with his tenure as COAS recommencing for a five-year term from the date of the CDF notification. Munir's tenure as army chief has included involvement in domestic stability measures, economic initiatives such as the Special Investment Facilitation Council, and regional diplomacy, including mediation efforts during the 2026 Iran war.
Early life and education Syed Asim Munir Ahmed Shah was born in Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan in 1968. His father was a schoolteacher and also an imam. Munir received his early religious education at the Markazi Madrasah Dar-ul-Tajweed. He was also a local cricketer, playing as a fast bowler.
Munir graduated from the JGSDF Camp Takigahara in Japan, the Command and Staff College, Quetta, the Malaysian Armed Forces College, Kuala Lumpur and the National Defence University, Islamabad, where he earned his MPhil in Public Policy and Strategic Security Management.
Military career Munir is from the 17th course of the Officers Training School (OTS) in Mangla and was commissioned into the 23rd Battalion of the Frontier Force Regiment. He was also awarded the Sword of Honour upon passing out from the Officers Training School. During his early military career, he was posted in Saudi Arabia, where he memorised the Quran and became a hafiz. While serving as a brigadier, Munir commanded troops in the Force Command Northern Areas and an infantry brigade in the Northern Areas of Pakistan.
He was appointed Director-General of Military Intelligence in 2016. He was awarded the Hilal-e-Imtiaz in March 2018. Munir was appointed the DG-ISI on 25 October 2018. He served in this capacity until 16 June 2019, a tenure of eight months. He was subsequently appointed as corps commander of XXX Corps. From 2021 to November 2022, Lt-General Munir was posted at GHQ as the Quartermaster General of Pakistan Army.
Chief of Army Staff (2022–present) In November 2022, Munir was promoted to the four-star general rank and appointed as the Chief of the Army Staff of the Pakistan Army. Munir was scheduled to retire on 27 November 2022. Before his appointment as Chief of Army Staff (COAS), he submitted his retirement application which was subsequently rejected by the Ministry of Defense, he was informed that the government had decided to retain him in service. Following informal consultations involving Nawaz Sharif, the brother of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Munir was appointed the COAS on 24 November 2022. The summary for his appointment was forwarded by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to President Arif Alvi, who signed and approved it on the same day. Munir assumed the role of COAS on 29 November 2022, two days after his initially scheduled retirement. Munir's selection as COAS was from a pool of six eligible candidates. Munir is the first army chief of Pakistan who has previously headed both the Military Intelligence and Inter-Services Intelligence.
In December 2022, he was conferred the Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military) by President Arif Alvi.
In November 2024, Pakistan's parliament extended the service terms of the heads of the armed forces, including Army Chief Munir, from three to five years, ensuring that Munir would remain in office until November 2027. The legislation was passed amid protests from PTI lawmakers, who argued that the government had rushed the measure without proper debate. According to Geo News, cited by Reuters, it took 16 minutes for the Senate to pass the amendment into law, which PTI lawmaker Omar Ayub described as "bulldozing" the legislation without debate in either house.
After the May 9 riots, Munir vowed that such orchestrated incidents against the army and the nation would not be allowed again. He announced that the "legal process of trial against planners, instigators, abettors and perpetrators involved in the May 9 tragedy has commenced under Pakistan Army Act and Official Secrets Act".
Economic initiatives During the Kakar caretaker government's nationwide crackdown on illegal dollar smuggling, unlawful currency transfers, and commodity hoarding, Munir, as Chief of Army Staff, participated in high-level briefings with provincial officials and stated that the crackdown on smuggling and other illegal activities would continue. The crackdown coincided with a recovery in the Pakistani rupee, which rose from a record low of 308 to the dollar and became the world's best-performing currency in September 2023.
The same month, in meetings with business leaders, he emphasised the role of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) in addressing Pakistan's economic challenges, highlighting its potential to attract up to $100 billion in investment from countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and other Gulf allies. He also announced the creation of task forces on economic and sectoral matters, assured that money exchanges would be brought under taxation to improve transparency in dollar exchange and interbank rates, and said that Pakistan's grey economy was two to three times larger than the documented economy. He facilitated multi-billion-dollar investment agreements with the UAE through the SIFC, covering sectors such as energy, port operations, wastewater treatment, food security, logistics, mining, aviation, and banking.
Field Marshal (2025–present) In the aftermath of the 2025 India–Pakistan conflict, the Government of Pakistan promoted Munir to the rank of Field Marshal on 20 May 2025, making him the second individual in Pakistan's history to attain the rank after Ayub Khan. His promotion as Field Marshal also makes him the first and only military commander in the history of Pakistan to occupy the office of the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) with the rank of Field Marshal (five-star General), which is a historical departure from a tradition where the COAS often holds a four-star General rank. Ayub Khan, who was Pakistan's first Field Marshal, abandoned his office of the Chief of the Army Staff after his promotion as Field Marshal.
The elevation was approved unanimously by the federal cabinet in recognition of his leadership during Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, which the government credited with repelling Indian aggression and ensuring national security. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif commended Munir's "exemplary courage and resolve" during the operation. According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Munir dedicated the honour to the people of Pakistan, the armed forces, and particularly to the martyrs and veterans.
In June 2025, Munir became the first Pakistani army chief to be hosted for lunch by a serving U.S. president, Donald Trump, without simultaneously holding the office of the country's head of state. Trump credited Munir with playing a key role in defusing the 2025 India–Pakistan conflict, preventing escalation to a potential nuclear confrontation. According to U.S. Central Command chief Michael Kurilla, Munir personally coordinated with U.S. officials on counterterrorism operations, including the arrest of the Abbey Gate bombing suspect in Kabul. Munir accompanied Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Riyadh for the signing of the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in September 2025. In October 2025, Trump referred to him as "my favourite field marshal" during a peace summit in Egypt.
In November 2025, under the Twenty-seventh Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan, the title of field marshal was granted lifelong legal immunity, which extended to Munir by virtue of his office.
Chief of Defence Forces On 4 December 2025, President Asif Ali Zardari appointed Munir as Pakistan's first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) after approving a summary forwarded by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The position was created under the Twenty-seventh Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan and replaced the abolished office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, which formally ceased to exist on 27 November 2025. The CDF post is a dual-hatted role combined with the office of the Chief of Army Staff. Munir was appointed to hold both offices concurrently for a period of five years, with his tenure as army chief deemed to have recommenced from the date of notification of the CDF appointment.
In April 2026, Pakistan played a mediating role between Iran and the United States amid 2026 Iran war. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif tasked Munir with maintaining behind-the-scenes contacts with American and Iranian political and military leadership in an effort to de-escalate the crisis. On 6 April 2026, it was reported that Munir has been in contact "all night long" with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi. The mediation contributed to rare face-to-face talks between U.S. and Iranian delegations in Islamabad, although no formal agreement was reached. Munir also travelled to Tehran on 15 April 2026 to facilitate efforts toward a second round of negotiations.
In August 2026, Munir accompanied Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during his visit to Saudi Arabia, where Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement.
Personal life American foreign policy analyst Michael Kugelman described Munir as "deeply religious". He memorised the entire Quran during his posting in Saudi Arabia as a Lieutenant-Colonel. He is the first army chief in Pakistan's history to have memorised the entire Quran.
Munir is a keen sportsman, an avid reader, and a traveller.
Views Stance regarding religious extremism He has stressed the need for combating Islamic extremism and providing a safe nation for Pakistan's religious minorities.
Foreign policy
Munir's foreign policy, or "the Munir doctrine", has been described as trying to shift away from the traditional choice between the United States and China as a primary geopolitical partner, and centred around three key points: to have a softer image of Pakistan, to transform it into a regional middle power, especially as a security actor, and to prioritize geoeconomics over geopolitics.
He has been critical of Pakistan's neighbours, arguing that Afghanistan did not support Pakistan's admission to the United Nations following independence and has historically supported the insurgency in Balochistan. Regarding India, he stated that "India has not reconciled with the concept of Pakistan, then how can we reconcile with them?"
"Pakistan first" policy