President Asif Ali Zardari has officially sanctioned the awarding of the Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Military) to General Syed Aamer Raza, the Commander of the National Strategic Command. This endorsement follows Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s decision last week to promote then Lieutenant General Aamer Raza to the rank of four-star general and appoint him to lead the National Strategic Command.
General Aamer Raza, who previously held the position of Chief of General Staff, was elevated in recognition of his distinguished service. The Prime Minister extended his congratulations on both the promotion and new appointment, expressing confidence in General Raza’s capability to fulfill the responsibilities entrusted to him.
Commissioned into the Pakistan Army in 1988, General Raza is an alumnus of the Command and Staff College in Quetta and the National Defence University in Islamabad. Additionally, he holds a degree in International Relations from the University of Nottingham. Over the course of his career, he has served as Commander of IV Corps, Chairman of Heavy Industries Taxila, and most recently as Chief of General Staff at the General Headquarters, a role he assumed in January 2025.
In a significant development, the position of Commander National Strategic Command was established under the 27th Constitutional Amendment, which introduced major reforms to the military’s command structure. This role now oversees the country’s nuclear assets, a responsibility formerly held by the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, marking it as one of Pakistan’s most critical strategic appointments.
The amendment stipulates that the appointment, reappointment, and extension of the Commander National Strategic Command are made based on the recommendation of the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), a post also created by the 27th Amendment to unify the military command. Furthermore, the Pakistan Army Act specifies that decisions regarding this appointment cannot be contested in any court, underscoring the post’s high level of authority and security.
