Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday granted a one-year extension to Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu.
Islamabad: PM Shehbaz grants extension to Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Babar. The prime minister has sent the advisory of the the Air Chief Marshal’s extension to President Asif Ali Zardari and granted him extension after his approval.
Zaheer Babar is a four-star air force officer and 16th Chief of Air Staff. He took over command of the air force on March 19, 2021, from his predecessor ACM Mujahid Anwar Khan.
It may be noted that Air Chief Zaheer Babr held a meeting with newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif few days ago and discussed matters of national importance.
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The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is the aerial warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces, tasked primarily with the aerial defence of Pakistan, with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy when required, and a tertiary role of providing strategic airlift capability to Pakistan. As of 2021, as per the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the PAF has more than 70,000 active-duty personnel and operates at least 1370+ aircraft. PAF stands as the eight largest Air Force in the world. PAF is the largest Air Force of the Muslim world in terms of aircraft fleet. Its primary mandate and mission is “to provide, in synergy with other inter-services, the most efficient, assured and cost effective aerial defence of Pakistan.” Since its establishment in 1947, the PAF has been involved in various combat operations, providing aerial support to the operations and relief efforts of the Pakistani military. Under Article 243, the Constitution of Pakistan appoints the President of Pakistan as the civilian Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), by statute a four-star air officer, is appointed by the President with the consultation and confirmation needed from the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
