The Chief of Naval Staff ( ur, , Rais amlah pak bahriyah;

reporting name NATO reporting names are code names for military equipment from Russia, China, and historically, the Eastern Bloc (Soviet Union and other nations of the Warsaw Pact). They provide unambiguous and easily understood English words in a uniform manne ...

as CNS), is a military appointment and a Statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the Pakistan Navy, who is nominated and appointed by the

Prime Minister of Pakistan The prime minister of Pakistan ( ur, , romanized: Wazīr ē Aʿẓam , ) is the head of government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and his chosen cabinet, despite the president of Pa ...

and confirmed by the President of Pakistan. The Chief of Naval Staff is one of the senior-most appointments in the

Pakistan military The Pakistan Armed Forces (; ) are the military forces of Pakistan. It is the world's sixth-largest military measured by active military personnel and consist of three formally uniformed services—the Army, Navy, and the Air Force, which are ...

who is one of the senior members of the

Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee The Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC), ( ur, ); is an administrative body of senior high-ranking uniformed military leaders of the unified Pakistan Armed Forces who advises the civilian Government of Pakistan, National Security Council, ...

in a separate capacity, providing senior consultation to the

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee The Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) ( ur, ) is, in principle, the highest-ranking and senior most uniformed military officer, typically at four-star rank, in the Pakistan Armed Forces who serves as a Principal Staff Officer and ...

to act as a principal

military advisor Military advisors, or combat advisors, advise on military matters. Some are soldiers sent to foreign countries to aid such countries with their military training, organization, and other various military tasks. The Foreign powers or organizations ...

to the

and its

civilian government Civil authority or civil government is the practical implementation of a state on behalf of its citizens, other than through military units (martial law), that enforces law and order and that is distinguished from religious authority (for exampl ...

in the line of defending and safeguarding the expedition, maritime and sealine borders of the nation. The Chief of Naval Staff exercise its responsibility of

command and control Command and control (abbr. C2) is a "set of organizational and technical attributes and processes ... hatemploys human, physical, and information resources to solve problems and accomplish missions" to achieve the goals of an organization or en ...

of the operational, combatant, logistics, administration, and training commands within the Pakistan Navy, in a clear contrast to the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

's Chief of Naval Operations (CNO). Due to its responsibility and importance, the Chief of Naval Staff plays a critical role in assessing the

coastal defence Coastal management is defence against flooding and erosion, and techniques that stop erosion to claim lands. Protection against rising sea levels in the 21st century is crucial, as sea level rise accelerates due to climate change. Changes in s ...

and conducting

reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...

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 Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi serving as chief of naval staff, who took over the command as chief of naval staff on 7 October 2020.

History

The Pakistan Navy was created from the partition of the

Royal Indian Navy The Royal Indian Navy (RIN) was the naval force of British India and the Dominion of India. Along with the Presidency armies, later the Indian Army, and from 1932 the Royal Indian Air Force, it was one of the Armed Forces of British India. F ...

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 Vice Admiral James Wilfred Jefford CB, CBE (22 March 1901 – 1 January 1980) was the first Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Pakistan Navy, serving from its inception in 1947 until 1953. Most of his early career was in the Royal Indian Navy. ...

as Pakistan Navy's first

Flag Officer Commanding A flag officer is a Officer (armed forces), commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which the officer exercises command. The term is used differently in different countr ...

(FOC). 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 Vice Admiral Muzzafar Hassan ( ur, مظفر حسن; b. 1920–24 May 2012) , was a Pakistan Navy senior admiral who served as the last Commander-in-Chief of Pakistan Navy from 1969 until 1972, serving under first President Yahya Khan and then u ...

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" (CNS) 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

. Since 1972, there have been 14 four-star rank admirals appointed as chiefs of naval staff by statute. The Prime Minister, with the President's confirmation, approved the nomination and appointment of the Chief of Naval Staff. The leadership of the navy is based in the Navy NHQ located in the vicinity of Air AHQ, and Army GHQ staff offices that form 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 (MoD). The Chief of Naval Staff exercises its responsibility of completing operational, training and logistics commands. The CNS has several principal staff officers and controls the navy through seven principle staff commands directed by its appointed Deputy Chiefs of Naval Staff. * DCNS Operations * DCNS Supply * DCNS Training and Personal * DCNS Projects * DCNS Materials * DCNS Administration * DCNS Welfare and Housing

List of Chiefs of the Naval Staff

The following is a list of Admirals who have served as 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

References

External links

Official website of Pakistan Navy
{{Chief of the navy by country 1 Pakistan Navy admirals

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...