Islamabad [Pakistan], Nov.28 : General Zubair Mahmood Hayat took over as the 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) on Monday from the outgoing chairman General Rashad Mehmood during an official ceremony at the joint staff headquarters in Rawalpindi.

General Hayat was presented with a guard of honour at a ceremony attended by all chiefs of staff, including outgoing army chief Gen Raheel Sharif. Incoming army chief General Qamar Javedd Bajwa was also present on the occasion, the Dawn reports.

Theoretically, the CJCSC has to be the senior-most four-star officer from any of the three services - army, navy and air force.