Law Minister: Notification for Chief of Defence Forces to be Issued Soon After PM Shehbaz Returns

Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar confirmed on Monday that the formal notification appointing the Chief of the Defence Forces (CDF) will be issued “in due course” once Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif returns to Pakistan, dismissing speculation of any delay or controversy.

Speaking to journalists after inaugurating a photo exhibition organised by the Federal Ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment (FOSPAH), Tarar said: “There is nothing for anyone to worry about. The process is routine. Once the prime minister arrives, everything will be completed.” He indicated that most paperwork is already in place and only final coordination between the Defence Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office is pending.

The statement ends days of uncertainty surrounding the appointment, which requires the prime minister’s approval under the recently enacted Chief of the Defence Forces Act 2025.

Separately, while addressing the exhibition — part of the global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence — Tarar stressed the need for societal transformation to empower women. “No nation can progress while keeping half its population confined at home,” he said, quoting Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s vision of men and women working “side by side with equal opportunity.”

He highlighted legal reforms over the past two years to ensure fair employment access and safer workplaces for women, noting increased female education and the formation of task forces under the prime minister for women’s empowerment. Tarar called for behavioural change, stating women deserve the same respect in public as mothers and sisters receive at home.

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Awards were presented to the top three artists whose works depicted the theme of eliminating violence against women and building safer communities.