Bill on services chiefs all set for smooth-sailing in NA

Parliament’s defence committees unanimously approve amendments to Army Act, Air Force Act and Navy Ordinance

ISLAMABAD: The defence committees of both houses of parliament unanimously approved three bills pertaining to the tenures of the chiefs of Pakistan’s armed forces after the government tabled the proposed laws in the National Assembly on Friday.

Defence Minister Pervez Khattak tabled the bills in the lower house of parliament after the government mustered the support of opposition parties. The bills were moved after the house suspended its regular proceedings on a motion moved by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan.

In November last year, the Supreme Court had given the government six months to set the service terms, including tenure, of a chief of army staff through an act of parliament. Nearly a month later, the government filed a review petition in the apex court, raising 26 questions of law against the judgment, while pleading for “preservation of two leading institutions” for a “healthy democracy”.

However, in a change of approach the government decided to implement the Supreme Court judgment, thus averting, what analysts say, could be a possible clash of institutions.

Before the bills were moved, Khawaja Asif of the PML-N urged Speaker Asad Qaiser to issue production orders for the jailed opposition lawmakers Khawaja Saad Rafique, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, and Syed Khursheed Shah, saying that their presence in the house was necessary for the important legislation. “The arrested members must not be deprived of their right to vote in the house,” he said.

Khattak moved the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Act, 2020; Pakistan Air Force (Amendment) Act, 2020; and Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Act, 2020. The speaker referred the bills to the Senate and National Assembly committees on defence for further deliberations. Subsequently, the house was adjourned until Monday morning.

The parliament’s standing committees on defence approved the bills with consensus in a joint sitting, co-chaired by Captain (retd) Jameel Ahamd and Senator Waleed Iqbal, at the Parliament House. The in-camera proceedings were off-limit to the media.

The meeting was attended by Mushtaq Ahmad, Abdul Qayyum, Azam Swati, Rubina Irfan, Muhammad Khan Daha, Aijaz Jajji, Rehman Malik, Mushahid Hussain, Anwarul Haq Kakar, Ramesh Kumar, Pevez Khattak, Malaika Bukhari, Shibli Faraz, Kunwal Shauzeb, Sajid Toori, Aftab Shaaban Mirani and Talha Mehmood and others. Defence Secretary Lt-Gen (retd) Ikramul Haq was also present during the deliberations.

As the meeting got under way, former speaker Ayaz Sadiq called the committee’s members from the PML-N for consultation in the chamber of the leader of the opposition. They included Senator Qayyum, Senator Mushahid Hussain, Muhammad Khan Daha, Aijaz Jajji and Riazul Haq.

The members left the committee and went inside the opposition leader's chamber. It is learnt that the top party leadership, including the Sharif brothers, was also contacted from London by the telephone. Later, the PML-N members joined the committee meeting.

After the meeting, Senator Swati said that the committees had approved all the three bills related to Pakistan’s armed forces. Law Minister Farogh Naseem told reporters that the committees found the bills in orders and no party proposed any amendment.

“I’m thankful to the PML-N, the PPP and the other opposition parties as well as our allies for passing the bills,” he added. “All three bills will be presented in the National Assembly for approval on Monday.”

The minister explained that Senator Mushtaq Ahmad of the Jamaat-e-Islami was not a member of the defence committee but was especially invited to the meeting. He opposed the grant of extension, Naseem said. JUI-F Senator Talha Mehmood also raised some questions, but he was provided with satisfactory answers.

(With additional reporting by Saqib Virk)