Entertainment
Field Marshal Asim Munir appointed Pakistan’s first Chief of Defence Forces
- President Zardari approves COAS Munir’s appointment as CDF.
- Air Chief Marshal Sidhu gets two-year extension in tenure.
- Pakistan will soar, Field Marshal Munir tells journalists.
ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Thursday appointed Field Marshal Asim Munir as Pakistan’s first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF).
President Asif Ali Zardari approved Field Marshal Munir’s appointment as the Chief of Defence Forces following a summary sent earlier in the day by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The top army official — who was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal earlier this year — will concurrently serve as Chief of Army Staff for five years.
COAS Munir was elevated to the rank of field marshal — Pakistan’s second and the first in more than six decades — following the country’s resounding victory over India in the May war.
Moments before his appointment, COAS Munir said that, from here onwards, Pakistan would soar to greater heights.
“Everything is fine; it’s all in front of you. Things are moving towards improvement, and Pakistan will now soar to greater heights from here,” he told journalists during an informal conversation at the Awain-e-Sadar in Islamabad.
Separately, President Zardari also approved a two-year extension in the tenure of Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu. The extension will come into effect once his ongoing five-year term concludes in March 2026.
The establishment of new military title follows President Zardari’s assent on November 15 to the Pakistan Army, Air Force, and Navy (Amendment) Bills 2025, after their approval by parliament.
Under the amended provisions, Article 243, which governs the powers and responsibilities of a Field Marshal, will also apply to any General promoted to the rank.
The federal government may authorise the Vice Chief of Army Staff or Deputy Chief of Army Staff to exercise the powers of the COAS under written orders issued on the recommendation of the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF).
The legislation further stipulates that once the first notification for the dual office of COAS and CDF is issued, the incumbent COAS’ tenure will be considered to have recommenced from the date of that notification.
The federal government will determine the specific duties and responsibilities of the CDF, which will include multi-domain integration, restructuring, and ensuring jointness across the armed forces.
A significant structural change introduced under the amendment is the abolition of the post of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), which will now be replaced by the Commander of the National Strategic Command.
The prime minister may appoint the Commander from among serving Pakistan Army generals for a three-year term, based on the recommendation of the COAS/CDF.
With the 27th Constitutional Amendment, the post of CJCSC had officially ceased to exist, and General (retd) Sahir Shamshad Mirza retired as the country’s last occupant of the position.
A brief look into Field Marshal Munir’s military career
Field Marshal Munir, Pakistan’s new CDF, was commissioned in the 23rd Frontier Force Regiment in 1986. He passed out with the 17th Officers Training Course at Mangla and was awarded the coveted Sword of Honour.
He has held several key military positions, including directing staff at Command and Staff College, Quetta; brigade major of a deployed infantry brigade in Kel; general staff officer, grade-2 at the CGS secretariat; and chief of staff of Mangla Corps. He also served as Quartermaster General at the General Headquarters.
Field Marshal Munir has commanded the 23rd Frontier Force Regiment and an infantry brigade, and has served as force commander in the Northern Areas, Gilgit.
He has held top intelligence positions, including Director General of Military Intelligence (MI) and head of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). After heading ISI, he was posted as Corps Commander Gujranwala and then as Quartermaster General — his last assignment before becoming army chief.
He graduated from Fuji School, Japan; Command and Staff College, Quetta; Malaysian Armed Forces College, Kuala Lumpur; and National Defence University, Islamabad. He also holds an MPhil in Public Policy and Strategic Security Management from the National Defence University.
Field Marshal Munir is the first army chief to be awarded the Sword of Honour. He is a keen sportsman, avid reader, traveller, and a Hafiz-e-Quran.
Entertainment
Duchess Sophie, Prince Edward private meeting with Andrew: Truth revealed
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have been living in exile for the past two months ever since he had been kicked out of his Windsor property, Royal Lodge, per King Charles’s orders.
Members of the royal family had publicly maintained their distance from the disgraced ex-prince, but in a surprising turn of events, Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie were the first ones to approach Andrew.
The former Duke of York has been living in Sandringham since it is a privately-owned estate by Charles, to avoid any further uproar from taxpayers. Before he officially moved into Marsh Farm, Sophie and Edward visited his temporary accommodation Wood Farm to do a “welfare check”.
It was previously reported that there were some grievances as the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were forced to stay at the main house since Andrew was occupying Wood Farm – the holiday let for royals during Easter and other key events.
However, royal sources dismissed to Daily Mail that there was any tension between Edward and Andrew over accommodation.
Duchess Sophie and Prince Edward reportedly had dinner with Andrew one night and talked things through. They “feel sorry” for him and how things have gone downhill for him. Moreover, they expressed concerns about Andrew’s “fragile state of mind” due to recent events.
“They do feel for him, but of course that doesn’t excuse his behaviour,” the source stressed. “It’s a difficult balancing act supporting him while not condoning what he has got involved with.”
Edward has tried to make tried to talk sense into him and has pointed out that Andrew can never return to the royal fold. Only time will tell if Andrew has understood everything briefed to him or if he remains in a delusion.
Entertainment
Michael J. Fox is not dead!
Michael J. Fox’s representative has been forced to shut down a false death rumour after a new outlet accidentally published a tribute video suggesting the actor had died.
“Michael is doing great,” his rep told TMZ on 8 April. “He was at PaleyFest yesterday. He was on stage and was giving interviews.”
CNN published a video titled “Remembering the life of actor Michael J. Fox” before quickly taking it down.
A spokesperson for the network confirmed the mistake, telling TMZ: “The package was published in error; we have removed it from our platforms and send our apologies to Michael J. Fox and his family.”
The 64-year-old had in fact been very much in the public eye the day before, attending the Shrinking season three finale screening at PaleyFest in Los Angeles on 7 April.
Fox, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991 and has been open about his ongoing battle with the condition, spoke to PEOPLE in October about his approach to living with it.
“You take the good, and you seize it,” he said. “I wake up and get the message of what the day is gonna be like, and I try to adjust to it. I keep getting new challenges physically, and I get through it. I roll around in a wheelchair a lot, and it took some getting used to.”
He shares four children with his wife Tracy Pollan, 65.
Entertainment
Cameron Diaz to star in 1989 cult comedy ‘Troop Beverly Hills’ sequel
Cameron Diaz is adding another major project to her growing list of comeback roles, this time bringing a beloved 1989 cult comedy back to the big screen.
TriStar Pictures is developing a sequel to Troop Beverly Hills with Diaz, 53, attached and currently considering starring in the film.
Clea DuVall, 48, will direct and has written the screenplay.
DuVall is known for directing The Intervention and Happiest Season, and recently appeared on screen in last year’s Swiped.
The original Troop Beverly Hills starred Shelley Long as Phyllis, a wealthy Beverly Hills woman who takes over her daughter’s Girl Scout troop as a way of staying close to her during a divorce.
The film was not considered a success when it was released, but it has built a devoted following over the decades and is now widely regarded as a cult classic.
No plot details for the sequel have been shared.
The project adds to what has become a remarkably busy period for Diaz, who returned to screens in 2025 after a decade away with the Netflix action comedy Back in Action alongside Jamie Foxx.
She also stars with Keanu Reeves and Matt Bomer in Jonah Hill’s comedy Outcome, which begins streaming on Apple TV+ on 10 April, and was photographed filming a separate project in New York City in March.
A romantic comedy directed by Stephen Merchant is also in the works, as is an action-comedy titled Bad Day in which she plays a single mother having the worst day of her life.
She is additionally expected to reprise her role as Princess Fiona in Shrek 5 in 2027.
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