PM extends tenure of air chief

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has extended the tenure of Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu by a year, a day before the air chief was due to retire.

The tenure of Sidhu was due to end on Saturday and he was set to retire on March 18. The prime minister sent the extension advice to President Asif Ali Zardari.

The four-star Pakistan Air Force (PAF) officer and 16th chief of air staff took over command of the air force on March 19, 2021, from his predecessor ACM Mujahid Anwar Khan.

The chief of the air staff is a military appointment and a statutory office held by an air chief marshal in the PAF, who is appointed by the prime minister of Pakistan and finally confirmed by the president of Pakistan.

Babar joined the GD (Pilot) branch of the PAF in 1986 as a fighter pilot. He has also served in fighter squadrons, operational airbases and regional commands. He attended Combat Commanders School, Air War College and Royal College of Defence Studies in the UK for higher studies.

He has also served as Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Operations Research and Development), Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Training Officers) and Director General of Projects at Air Headquarters Islamabad.

Babar also served as additional secretary in the ministry of defence. He was awarded Sitara-e-Imtiaz (military) and Tamgha-e-Imtiaz (military) in recognition of his services.