Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced the promotion of Lieutenant General Aamer Raza, the Chief of General Staff of the Pakistan Army, to the rank of four-star general, along with his appointment as Commander National Strategic Command (CNSC), according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Friday.
The PMO stated that the premier congratulated the newly promoted general and expressed best wishes for his new role.
The position was established under the 27th Constitutional Amendment, which introduced major reforms to the military’s chain of command, effectively transferring the nuclear management responsibilities previously held by the now-abolished Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) to the CNSC.
Under the constitutional changes, decisions regarding the appointment, reappointment, or extension of the CNSC rely exclusively on the recommendation of the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), a position created as part of the unified command structure across the armed forces.
The amendment further stipulates that the appointment, reappointment, or extension of the CNSC, or the exercise of discretion by the appointing authority in these matters, cannot be challenged in any court on any grounds whatsoever.
Previously, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who also serves as the Chief of Army Staff, was appointed the nation’s first CDF following the passage of the 27th Amendment.
