Gen Zubair Mahmood Hayat took over as Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) on Monday from outgoing General Rashad Mehmood during an official ceremony at joint staff headquarters, Rawalpindi.
Gen Hayat, who has become the 17th CJCSC of Pakistan, was presented with a guard of honour at a ceremony attended by all chiefs of staff, including outgoing army chief Gen Raheel Sharif. Incoming army chief Gen Qamar Javad Bajwa was also present on the occasion.
Theoretically, the CJCSC has to be the senior-most four-star officer from any of the three services — army, navy and air force.
However, since the establishment of the NCA, the army has staked a claim to its leadership, because it controls the key areas of nuclear command and strategic assets.
The CJCSC is also the deputy chairman of NCA’s deployment committee, which is headed by the prime minister.