ISLAMABAD: The question of who should serve as Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces has once again a debate among political commentators and defence observers.
In this regard, yet, many within the strategic community argue that the answer lies not in politics or personalities, but in the very nature of Pakistan’s geography and security needs.
In this sense, land warfare has historically been the decisive element in both internal and external conflicts. It is the Army that has consistently taken the lead in planning and executing missions on the ground.
There are several analysts point out that the Air Force and Navy play indispensable roles, their operations are often designed to support and complement land-based strategies.
Furthermore, this dominance of land strategy has naturally placed the Army at the centre of Pakistan’s defence doctrine. The countries where land borders are extensive and threats primarily emerge from the ground, military leadership traditionally comes from the Army.
The experts focus that this is not a question of institutional hierarchy, but a strategic requirement dictated by geography and the nature of warfare.
The recent Operation Ma’raka-e-Haq is cited as a prime example. The campaign, initiated and directed under the leadership of the Army Chief, demonstrated the coordination and resolve of all branches of the armed forces.
Meanwhile, the supporters of this view argue that entrusting overall defence leadership to the Army ensures unified command, operational clarity, and swift decision-making in times of crisis.
They caution against politicizing the issue or framing it as an inter-service rivalry, stressing that effective national defence depends on cohesion, not competition.
However, the defence experts urge commentators and social media analysts to approach the matter with informed understanding rather than speculation.
So far, the proponents maintain that having the Chief of Defence Forces come from the Army is not merely tradition; it is an indication of Pakistan’s strategic environment, historical experience, and the enduring centrality of ground operations in national defence.
