General Aamer Raza met with Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir at General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi on Monday, according to the military’s media wing.
“The field marshal congratulated the general officer on assumption of command,” a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
General Raza was promoted to the rank of a four-star general and appointed to the position of Commander of the National Strategic Command (CNSC), according to an announcement by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday.
According to the PMO, the premier congratulated the newly promoted general and wished him the best for “undertaking this important responsibility”.
The ISPR added in its statement that General Raza was presented with a guard of honour upon his arrival at GHQ on his appointment as CNSC.
It added that the general laid a floral wreath at Yadgar-i-Shuhada and offered prayers for the martyrs.
General Raza has previously been awarded the Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military) and Sitara-i-Basalat (Star of Valour).
The CNSC post was created under last year’s 27th Constitutional Amendment, which made significant changes to the military’s chain of command, to assume the nuclear manager role previously exercised by the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), a post which was abolished.
The appointment, reappointment and extension of the CNSC are tied solely to the recommendation of the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), a post that was also created under the amendment for a unified command structure across the armed forces.
Under the changes, the appointment, reappointment or extension of the CNSC or the “exercise of discretion by the appointing authority in this regard, shall not be called into question before any court on any ground whatsoever”.
Last year, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who also serves as the Chief of Army Staff, was appointed the country’s first CDF following the passage of the 27th Amendment.