NCOs term extended by two years

Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani has extended the duration of regular service for NCOs by two years.

ISLAMABAD: In a surprise move, Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani has extended the duration of regular service for non-commissioned officers by two years. The decision comes in a bid to improve incentives for personnel and is likely to affect several thousand NCOs stationed all across Pakistan.

Under this scheme, hawaldars and naeks, of both the fighting corps as well as the technical corps, can choose to get their duration of service extended.

Earlier, a hawaldar of the fighting force could only serve a maximum of 23 years while one of the technical corps could go on for 26 years. Meanwhile, a naek of the fighting corps got 20 years and one of the technical corps could serve for 23 years.

Significantly, the NCOs will now be able to choose whether they want to avail of the extension.

Since the extension applies to regular service, all the NCOs will be considered for the promotions and privileges they would have otherwise gotten. According to the military rules, the commanding officer is to recommend the promotions while the Formation Commander is to approve of the same.

This is the latest in a slew of measures introduced by Kayani to boost the morale of the military.

Earlier, he had increased the quality and improved the quality of rations provided to the forces. He also improved the availability of accommodation.

Besides setting up a military college for the children of jawans, NCOs and junior commissioned officers in Muree, Kayani also made provisions for scholarships for these students.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 19^th, 2010.