Pakistan’s National Assembly approves major amendments
to Army,Air Force, and Navy laws; Army Chief designated as Chief of Defense Forces Pakistan with a 5-year term, and the post of Commander National Strategic Command established.Amendments to the Law Related to the Armed Forces:
The post of Commander of National Strategic Command has been added in place of the Joint Chief of Staff Committee, amendments have also been approved in the Air Force and Navy.
ISLAMABAD
The National Assembly has approved the amendments to the Pakistan Army Act 1952, the Pakistan Air Force Act 1953 and the Pakistan Navy Ordinance 1961 by a majority vote, and the Army Chief has been appointed as the Chief of Defense Forces for the next five years.
According to Express News, the session of the National Assembly began under the chairmanship of the Speaker, in which the bill to amend the Army Act 1952 was presented.
The bill was moved by Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, on which the Speaker took a vote and the House approved it by a majority vote.
Similarly, the bill to amend the Pakistan Air Force Act 1953 and the Pakistan Navy Ordinance 1961 was also presented in the house by Khawaja Asif and it was also approved by the members of the assembly by majority vote.
Army Chief Appointed as Chief of Defense Forces for the Next Five Years
According to the amendments made in the Army Act, the Army Chief will be the Chief of Defense Forces. The term of the Chief of Defense Forces will start from the day on which the notification is issued. When the general is promoted to the rank of Field Marshal, he will serve under sub-section two. The federal government will determine the duties and responsibilities of the Army Chief (Chief of Defense Forces).
The text of the bill states that after the amendment in Clause 8G of the Army Act, the post of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee will be deemed to have ended from November 27, 2025. On the recommendation of the Army Chief and the Chief of Defense Forces, the Prime Minister will appoint the Commander of National Strategic Command for a period of 3 years. The Prime Minister will determine the terms and conditions of the Commander National Strategic Command.
The text of the bill states that the Prime Minister will be able to re-appoint the Commander National Strategic Command for another three years on the recommendation of the Chief of Defense Forces. The re-appointment or extension of the Commander National Strategic Command cannot be challenged in any court.
The bill further states that the retirement age, service period and removal in the Army Act will not apply to the Commander National Strategic Command. The Commander National Strategic Command will serve as a general in the Pakistan Army.
Clarification on Amendment to Article 176(C) of the Army Act
A clarification has been issued on the amendment to Article 176 (C) of the Pakistan Army Act, which states that this article was inserted in 1978 and there is nothing new in it, the current amendment is only to include the appointment of the Army Chief as Commander of the Defence Forces, no appointment of the Vice Chief of Army Staff or Deputy Army Chief is being made.
Amendments to the Pakistan Navy Act
The National Assembly has passed the Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bill 2025, under which amendments have been made to the Pakistan Navy Act 1961. The amendment bill aims to harmonize the laws in accordance with the Constitutional Amendment 2025. The bill recommends deleting the provisions related to the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.
After the amendment, the Navy command structure will be adapted to the new defense structure, changes have been proposed in the terminology related to the powers and position of the Chief of Naval Staff. The word “or” will be replaced by “and/or” in various sections of the Navy Act.
Under the amendment, it has been proposed to delete sections 11D, 11E and 11F. It has also been recommended to remove the words “Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee” from section 208.
Under the bill, the Navy Act will be updated in accordance with the Multi-Domain Integration Policy. The amendment bill aims to increase command coordination and organizational linkage between the defense forces.
Amendments to the Pakistan Air Force Act
The Pakistan Air Force Act Amendment Bill 2025 was passed by the National Assembly in which important changes have been proposed. It has been suggested to delete sections 10D, 10E, 10F of the Pakistan Air Force Act 1953, and an amendment to section 202 has been proposed to delete the words Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.
Term of Office of the Chief of Defense Will Be 5 Years, Law Minister
Law Minister Prime Minister Nazir Tarar said that these amendments have been brought to align the 27th Amendment with the existing law. He explained that the term of office of the Chief of Defense will be for five years from the date of appointment, some changes have been made in the Air Force and Navy.
According to the constitution, amendments to appointments in the new court have been approved and the first appointment in this will be that of the Chief Justice.
He added that from now on, the Chief of Army Staff will be the Chief of Defense Forces.
Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Amendment Bill Passed
The Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Amendment Bill was introduced in the House and was also passed, under which further amendments have been made to the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023.
According to the text of the bill, it is proposed to delete Article 191A from the Practice and Procedure Act. It is proposed to delete the words Constitutional Benches from the Practice and Procedure Act. It is proposed to delete Section 5 from the Practice and Procedure Act.
The bill amends Clause 2 of the Practice and Procedure Act, stating that any matter, petition, appeal or review petition before the Supreme Court shall be heard by a bench constituted by a committee comprising the Chief Justice, the next senior-most judge in terms of seniority and a judge nominated by the Chief Justice.
If a member is unable to attend a committee meeting for any reason, the Chief Justice may nominate another judge of the Supreme Court to be a member of the committee.
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