Services chiefs' tenure extended after presidential approval

ISLAMABAD: Acting President Yousuf Raza Gilani gave his assent to six bills including those seeking the extension of tenure of all services chiefs from three to five years and the number of the Supreme Court (SC) judges from 17 to 34, ARY News reported.

Following the passage from the National Assembly and the Senate, the six bills including the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) (Amendment) Bill, 2024 were sent to the acting president for assent.

The Supreme Court Number of Judges (Amendment) Bill, 2024, The Islamabad High Court (Amendment) Bill, 2024, The Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2024, The Pakistan Air Force (Amendment) Bill, 2024, The Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bill, 2024 were sent to Yousuf Raza Gilani.

The Senate chairman, who is acting as head of the state in President Asif Ali Zardari’s absence, signed all the bills into law. After the enactment of the bill, the tenure of Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), Chief of Naval Staff, and Chief of the Air Staff has been fixed for five years.

Following the head of state’s signature, the passed bills came into force as a law.

Earlier on Monday, the National Assembly and the Senate passed the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2024 to extend the tenure of all services chiefs from three to five years amid a protest by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif presented the bill and it was passed with a majority of votes in the upper and lower houses.

“The purpose of these amendments are to make consistent the Pakistan Army Act, 1952, The Pakistan Navy Ordinance, 1961 and The Pakistan Air Force Act, 1953 with the maximum tenure of the Chief of the Army Staff, the Chief of the Naval Staff and the Chief of the Air Staff and to make consequential amendments for uniformity in the aforementioned laws,” the amendment read.

“The retirement age and service limits prescribed for a General, under the Rules and Regulations made under this Act, shall not be applicable to the Chief of the Army Staff, during his tenure of appointment, reappointment and/or extension. Throughout such tenure, the Chief of the Army Staff shall continue to serve as a General in the Pakistan Army,” the amendment a copy of which is available with ARY News read.

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar presented the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) (Amendment) Bill 2024 to raise the number of SC judges in both houses separately within a span of two hours.

The upper and lower houses passed the bill with a majority of votes. In the National Assembly, the PTI lawmakers gathered in front of the speaker’s rostrum, tore apart copies of the bill, and chanted slogans.

The National Assembly and the Senate also passed another bill to increase the number of the Islamabad High Court judges from nine to 12.

Speaking on in the National Assembly, Azam Nazeer Tarar said that the amendment would raise the number of judges in the Supreme Court to 34, so that the backlog of cases may be cleared. He said that following the 26th constitutional amendment, the number of judges are to be increased for forming the the constitutional benches.