New Delhi, Dec. 5 -- Field Marshal Asim Munir has officially been appointed as Pakistan's first Chief of Defence Forces for a period of five years. He will continue to hold the office of Chief of Army Staff simultaneously.

President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday approved the summary submitted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formally asking him to appoint Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Munir as the first CDF of Pakistan.

The Pakistan President extended his best wishes to Munir, a release from President's office said.

This comes a month after the Pakistan parliament passed the 27th Constitutional Amendment, providing for the creation of the post of CDF.

The post has been created with the objective to improve coordination among the army,...