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The Senate on Friday swiftly passed four bills linked to the recently approved 27th Constitutional Amendment, including legislation that seeks changes to the Army Act and resets the tenure of Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir following his elevation as the chief of the defence forces (CDF), Dawn reported.
As explained by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar in the National Assembly (NA) yesterday, this means the five-year tenure of the chief of the defence forces would begin "from the date of his notification of the appointment". The four bills were approved a day after their hurried passage in the NA, Dawn noted, without debate and with minimal resistance from the opposition. Apart from the Pakistan Army Amendment Bill 2025, the Senate also passed the Pakistan Air Force Amendment Bill 2025, the Pakistan Navy Amendment Bill 2025, and the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Amendment Bill 2025. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar tabled the Army and Air Force bills on behalf of Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, as he had not joined the session. Asif later presented the Navy Amendment Bill, while Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry introduced the Supreme Court bill on behalf of Tarar. Dar said the bills sought changes to the relevant laws in line with the 27th Constitutional Amendment, which was enacted yesterday. The amendment has paved the way for the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) and introduced changes to the military leadership structure, drawing strong criticism from the opposition, as well as former and sitting judges and lawyers, who voiced concerns particularly over its implications for the Supreme Court, Dawn stated. Despite the widespread criticism, the Senate session saw little resistance from the opposition. The Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill proposes replacing the term "chief of the army staff" with "chief of the defence forces". It also seeks to substitute "Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee" with "Commander of the National Strategic Command". A key amendment to Section 8A of the Pakistan Army Act 1952 states that "for the first appointment of the chief of the army staff concurrently the chief of the defence forces... the tenure under this section shall commence from the date of notification of the said office". Another amendment says "the prime minister may, on the recommendation of the chief of the army staff concurrently the chief of the defence forces, appoint the commander of the National Strategic Command... for a tenure of three years". The proposed law authorises the prime minister to "reappoint the commander... for additional tenure of three years and/or extend the tenure(s)... up to three years" on the recommendations of the chief of the defence forces. It adds that appointments or extensions "shall not be called into question before any court on any ground whatsoever", Dawn highlighted. Another provision allows the federal government, on the recommendation of the chief of the army staff, concurrently the chief of the defence forces, to authorise the vice chief or deputy chief of the army staff to exercise specified powers and functions of the COAS. Amendments to the Air Force and Navy laws include the elimination of references to the CJCSC. The amendment to the Supreme Court law removes the Constitutional Bench that was constituted under the 26th Amendment. (ANI)
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