| Chief of Naval plus water Staff | |
|---|---|
| رئیسِ عملۂ پاک بحریہ | |
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Pakistan_Navy_Admiral.svg) Flag of the Chief of the Naval plus army Staff | |
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Chief_of_The_Naval_Staff_Admiral_Naveed_Ashraf_NI(M)_Official.jpg) | |
| Ministry of Defence Navy Secretariat-III at MoD[1] | |
| Abbreviation | CNS |
| Member of | Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee National Security Council |
| Reports to | Prime Minister of Pakistan Minister of Defence |
| Seat | Naval Headquarters (NHQ) Islamabad, Pakistan |
| Nominator | Prime Minister of Pakistan |
| Appointer | President of Pakistan |
| Term length | 3 years Renewable only once |
| Precursor | Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Navy |
| Formation | 3 March 1972 |
| First holder | Vice Admiral H. H. Ahmad |
| Succession | On basis of seniority, subjected to the decision of the Prime Minister of Pakistan. |
| Unofficial names | Naval chief |
| Deputy | Vice Chief of the Naval Staff |
| Website | Official website |
The Chief of the Naval Staff (Urdu: رئیسِ عملۂ پاک بحریہ, romanized: Rais amlah pak bahriyah; 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.[2]
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.[3]: 86 [4]
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.[3]: 88 [5][6]
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 Naveed Ashraf serving as chief of naval staff, who took over the command as chief of naval staff on 7 October 2023.
- ^ MoD, Ministry of Defence. "Organogram of MoD" (PDF). mod.gov.pk/. Ministry of Defence Press. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 September 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
- ^ a b Cheema, Pervaiz Iqbal (2002). "Evolution of the Navy". The Armed Forces of Pakistan (google books). New york: NYU Press. p. 225. ISBN 9780814716335.
- ^ Shabbir, Usman (2003). "Command & Structure". pakdef.org. PakDef Military Consortium. Archived from the original on 26 September 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
- ^ Khan, Zafar (2015). Pakistan's Nuclear Policy: A Minimum Credible Deterrence. [u.s]: Routledge. ISBN 9781317676003. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- ^ Staff writers, News agencies (9 January 2017). "Pakistan attains 'second strike capability' with test-fire of submarine-launched cruise missile". DAWN.COM. Dawn Newspaper, 2017. Dawn Newspaper. Retrieved 28 July 2017.