General Raza has previously been awarded the Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military), Sitara-e-Basalat (Star of Valour)
SECURITY MATTERS: CNSC General Syed Aamer Raza meets with CDF Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir at the GHQ in Rawalpindi. PHOTO: NNI
President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday approved the conferment of the Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military) on the newly appointed Commander of the National Strategic Command, General Syed Aamer Raza, according to a statement posted by the President on X.
In a post on X, the President said, “The president has approved conferring Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military) on Gen Syed Aamer Raza, the commander of the National Strategic Command.”
صدرِ مملکت نے جنرل سید عامر رضا، کمانڈر نیشنل اسٹریٹجک کمانڈ کو نشانِ امتیاز (ملٹری) عطا کرنے کی منظوری دے دی۔
— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) July 31, 2026
General Aamer Raza was appointed as Pakistan’s first Commander National Strategic Command (CNSC) after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif promoted him from lieutenant general to the rank of four-star general on July 24.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, he was serving as the Chief of the General Staff of the Pakistan Army before assuming command of the country’s newly established National Strategic Command.
General Raza has previously been awarded the Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military) and Sitara-e-Basalat (Star of Valour).
The position was created under the 27th Constitutional Amendment, which rewrote Article 243. The amendment abolished the longstanding office of the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) and established the posts of Chief of Defence Forces and Commander National Strategic Command. It also expanded the constitutional powers of the country’s senior military leadership and introduced constitutional protections for five-star generals.
Read: Senate passes military reforms approved under 27th Constitutional Amendment
Under the amendment, the prime minister appoints the Commander National Strategic Command on the recommendation of the Chief of Army Staff and the Chief of Defence Forces. The appointment is for a three-year term, while the prime minister is authorised to determine the terms, conditions and rules governing the office.
The amendment also allows the prime minister to reappoint the Commander for one additional three-year term on the recommendation of the Chief of Defence Forces.
It further provides that the appointment, reappointment or extension of the Commander National Strategic Command cannot be challenged before any court, placing such decisions beyond judicial review. The bill also stipulates that the retirement age, service tenure, or removal clauses under the Army Act will not apply to the Commander National Strategic Command, who will continue to serve as a General in the Pakistan Army while performing his duties in the role.
Under the amendment, the Commander National Strategic Command serves with the rank of General in the Pakistan Army.
On December 4, Field Marshal Asim Munir was appointed the country’s first Chief of Defence Forces, a position also created by the 27th amendment. He would serve as both the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and CDF, a rare distinction in the country’s military hierarchy.
