Chief of Naval Staff (Pakistan)


The Chief of the Naval Staff, is a military appointment and a Statutory office held by the four-star rank admiral in the Pakistan Navy, who is nominated and appointed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan and confirmed by the President of Pakistan.
The Chief of Naval Staff is one of the senior-most appointments in the Pakistan military who is one of the senior members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee in a separate capacity, providing senior consultation to the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee to act as a principal military advisor to the Prime Minister of Pakistan and its civilian government in the line of defending and safeguarding the of the nation.
The Chief of Naval Staff exercise its responsibility of command and control of the operational, combatant, logistics, administration, and training commands within the Pakistan Navy, in a clear contrast to the U.S. Navy's Chief of Naval Operations. Due to its responsibility and importance, the Chief of Naval Staff plays a critical role in assessing the coastal defence and conducting reconnaissance to insure its strike capability against aggressive forces.
In principle, the appointment is constitutionally subjected for three years but extensions may be granted by the President upon recommendations and approvals from the Prime Minister. The Chief of Naval Staff is based on the Navy NHQ, and the current Chief of Naval Staff is Admiral
Admiral Z.M. Abbasi serving as chief of naval staff, who took over the command as chief of naval staff on 7 October 2017.

History

The Pakistan Navy was created from the partition of the Royal Indian Navy after the India's partition on 14/15 August of 1947. Direct appointments in the navy was in the responsibility of the British Admiralty who appointed Rear Admiral James Wilfred Jefford as Pakistan Navy's first Flag Officer Commanding.
The post was changed to Commander-in-Chief when Vice-Admiral Mohammad Siddiq Choudri became the first native naval commander in 1953, and the title changed from Commander in Chief to Chief of Staff in 1969 with Vice-Admiral Muzaffar Hassan acting as Commander-in-Chief and Rear-Admiral Rashid Ahmad as Chief of Staff. On 20 March 1972, the renamed as "Chief of Naval Staff" with Vice-Admiral H.H. Ahmed becoming the first chief of naval staff, though his rank was not elevated to four-star rank.
The term of the superannuation was then constrained to three years in the office as opposed to four years and was made a permanent member of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Since 1972, there has been 14 four-star rank admirals to be appointed as chief of naval staff by statute.The Prime Minister approved the nomination and appointment of the Chief of Naval Staff, with President confirming the Prime Minister's appointed choosing and nomination.
The leadership of the navy is based in the Navy NHQ located at the vicinity of Air AHQ, and Army GHQ staff offices that forms that JS HQ in the Rawalpindi District, Punjab, Pakistan. The CNS controls the navy, assisted by the civilians from the Navy Secretariat-III of the Ministry of Defence.
The Chief of Naval Staff exercise its responsibility of complete operational, training and logistics commands. The CNS has several principal staff officers and controls the navy through eight commands directed by its appointed deputy chiefs of naval staff, reporting to vice-chief of naval staff.
The following is a list of Admirals who have served as the either Commander-in-Chief or the Chief of the Naval Staff of the Pakistan Navy.

Naval Commanders-in-Chief, Pakistan Navy

Chiefs of the Naval Staff (CNS) of Pakistan Navy

Vice Chief of Naval Staff

The Vice Chief of Naval Staff is the post that is, in principle, the deputy and the second-in-command of the Pakistan Navy, reporting and functioning under the Chief of Naval Staff. The post is a three-star rank assignment, usually held by the Vice-Admiral.
The post of the vice naval chief is a senior position and its officer is a three-star admiral in the Navy, with distinction of Rear-Admiral Rashid Ahmed who acted of Chief of Staff of the Pakistan Navy under Vice Admiral Muzaffar Hassan who was the Navy's last Commander in Chief.
OrderNameRankPhotoAppointment DateLeft OfficeUnit of CommissionDecorations
±Rashid Ahmed Rear-Admiral25 March 196920 December 1971Executive BranchSK, TQA
1Mohammad Sharif Rear-Admiral19741975Executive BranchHI, SI, HJ, SJ, SK
2Leslie Norman Mungavin Rear-Admiral19751977Operations BranchSPk, SK
3Karamat Rahman Niazi Vice-Admiral19771979Submarine Command SJ, HI
4Iqbal F. Qadir Vice-Admiral19801983Operations BranchHI, TI, SBt, TQA
5Iftikhar Ahmed Sirohey Vice-Admiral19851988 Engineering BranchNI
6Yastur-ul-Haq Malik Vice-Admiral19881991Surface BranchNI
7Syed Iqtidar Husain Vice-Admiral19921993Operations BranchNI