On Monday, the National Assembly (NA) passed two significant bills—one extending the tenure of the armed forces chiefs and another increasing the number of Supreme Court judges.
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif introduced the bill to extend the terms of the Chief of the Army Staff, Chief of the Naval Staff, & Chief of the Air Staff from three to five years.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar presented a separate bill to raise the number of Supreme Court judges to 34. “This amendment will increase the number of judges in the Supreme Court, helping reduce case backlogs and forming constitutional benches after the 26th amendment,” explained Tarar.
Despite strong opposition protests, the NA approved both bills shortly after Tarar’s presentation.
Defense Minister Asif also proposed amendments to secure extended tenures for military leaders.
The bills were introduced via a supplementary agenda. The Army Act Amendment Bill of 1952 now states that retirement rules won’t apply to the Army Chief’s appointment, reappointment, or extension. The House further approved amendments to the Pakistan Air Force Act of 1953 & the Pakistan Navy Act of 1961 through a majority vote.
