Senate swiftly approves services chiefs’ tenure amendment bills

ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Wednesday swiftly passed the three bills concerning the tenure of the three services chiefs and the chairman of the joint chief of staff committee, a day after the National Assembly passed these bills.

The Upper House passed the bills quickly to meet the expedited timeline, just a day after the being passed overwhelming by the National Assembly. The bills will now become acts of parliament after formal assent by President Dr. Arif Alvi.

Defence Minister Pervez Khattak moved the three bills for voting one after the other. The opposition parties, notably the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has already expressed unconditional support for the bills.

Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani put up these bills for voting after a clause by clause reading of the amendment which was approved by a majority of the voting. The session was adjourned immediately after the passage of the bills till Friday.

The bills concerning the tenure of the three services chiefs — chief of army staff, chief of air staff and chief of naval staff – and chairman of the joint chief of staff committee, were already approved by the house’s standing committee on defense yesterday.

READ MORE: US-Iran tension: FO advises citizens not to travel Iraq

The National Assembly on Tuesday passed the three bills formalizing the term period of the three heads of services. While the bills are Pakistan Army, Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Air Force amendment bills, 2020.

Several opposition lawmakers, including from the Jamaat-e-Islami, the Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and other leaders from tribal areas walked out to oppose the bills.

The prime minister will now the authority to extend any service chief’s tenure, and the president will give the extension or reappointment his final nod.

Earlier on Tuesday, the National Assembly passed bills formalizing tenures of service chiefs. Prime Minister Imran Khan made an early appearance in the lower house when three proposed amendments were passed by the assembly.