The Chief of the Naval Staff ((Urdu: سربراہ پاک بحریہ (reporting name 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 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 expedition, maritime and sealine borders of the nation.:86
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 (CNO). 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.:88
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
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This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2020)
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The Pakistan Navy was created from the partition of the Royal Indian Navy after the India’s partition on 14/15 August of 1947.:90 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 (FOC).:47
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.:52 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.:60–62
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.:62 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 (MoD).
The Chief of Naval Staff exercise its responsibility of complete operational, training and logistics commands.:92–93 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.
- DCNS Operations
- DCNS Supply
- DCNS Personal
- DCNS Projects
- DCNS Materials
- DCNS Administration
- DCNS Training and Evaluation
- DCNS Welfare and Housing
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.
| No. | Portrait | Naval Commander-in-Chief | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 |
Rear admiral James Wilfred Jefford CB, CBE (1901–1980) as Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Pakistan Navy |
15 August 1947 | 30 January 1953 | 5 years, 168 days |  Royal Navy |
| 2 |
|
Vice admiral Haji Mohammad Siddiq Choudri HPk, HI(M) MBE (1912–2004) |
31 January 1953 | 28 February 1959 | 6 years, 28 days |  Pakistan Navy |
| 3 |
|
Vice admiral Afzal Rahman Khan HPk, HJ, HQA (1921–2005) |
1 March 1959 | 20 October 1966 | 7 years, 233 days | Pakistan Navy |
| 4 |
|
Vice admiral Syed Mohammad Ahsan HQA, SPk DSC (1920–1989) |
20 October 1966 | 31 August 1969 | 2 years, 315 days | Pakistan Navy |
| 5 |
|
Vice admiral Muzaffar Hassan HQA, SPk, (1920–2012) |
1 September 1969 | 22 December 1971 | 2 years, 112 days | Pakistan Navy |
| No. | Portrait | Chief of Naval Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Vice admiral Hasan Hafeez Ahmed TQA (1926–1975) |
3 March 1972 | 8 March 1975 † | 3 years, 5 days |
| 2 |
|
Admiral Mohammad Shariff NI(M), HI(M), SI(M), HJ, SJ, SK (1920–2020) |
23 March 1975 | 21 March 1979 | 3 years, 363 days |
| 3 |
|
Admiral Karamat Rahman Niazi NI(M), HI(M), SJ (?–2021) |
22 March 1979 | 23 March 1983 | 4 years, 1 day |
| 4 |
|
Admiral Tariq Kamal Khan NI(M), SI(M), SBt (born 1930) |
23 March 1983 | 9 April 1986 | 3 years, 17 days |
| 5 |
|
Admiral Iftikhar Ahmed Sirohey NI(M), HI(M), SI(M), SBt (born 1934) |
9 April 1986 | 9 November 1988 | 2 years, 214 days |
| 6 |
|
Admiral Yastur-ul-Haq Malik NI(M), SBt (born 1933) |
10 November 1988 | 8 November 1991 | 2 years, 363 days |
| 7 |
|
Admiral Saeed Mohammad Khan NI(M), SBt (born 1935) |
9 November 1991 | 9 November 1994 | 3 years, 0 days |
| 8 |
|
Admiral Mansurul Haq NI(M) (1931–2018) |
10 November 1994 | 1 May 1997 | 2 years, 173 days |
| 9 |
|
Admiral Fasih Bokhari NI(M), HI(M), SI(M), SBt, SJ (born 1942) |
2 May 1997 | 2 October 1999 | 2 years, 153 days |
| 10 |
|
Admiral Abdul Aziz Mirza NI(M), HI(M), SI(M), SBt (born 1943) |
2 October 1999 | 2 October 2002 | 3 years, 0 days |
| 11 |
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Admiral Shahid Karimullah NI(M), HI(M), SI(M), TI(M), SJ (born 1948) |
3 October 2002 | 6 October 2005 | 3 years, 4 days |
| 12 |
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Admiral Afzal Tahir NI(M), HI(M), SI(M) (born 1949) |
7 October 2005 | 7 October 2008 | 3 years, 0 days |
| 13 |
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Admiral Noman Bashir NI(M), HI(M), SI(M), TI(M) |
7 October 2008 | 7 October 2011 | 3 years, 0 days |
| 14 |
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Admiral Asif Sandila NI(M), HI(M) (born 1954) |
8 October 2011 | 3 October 2014 | 2 years, 360 days |
| 15 |
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Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah NI(M), HI(M), SI(M), TI(M) (born 1958) |
4 October 2014 | 6 October 2017 | 3 years, 2 days |
| 16 |
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Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi HI(M), SI(M) |
7 October 2017 | 7 October 2020 | 3 years, 0 days |
| 17 |
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Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi |
7 October 2020 | Incumbent | 229 days |