Army Act amendments

There has been progress over the legislation granting an extension to Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa. As predicted, all opposition parties decided to lend explicit and unequivocal support when it comes to matters regarding the armed forces.

Prime Minister Imran Khan hurriedly called a federal cabinet meeting to rush out a draft bill over amendments in the Army Act. According to the new amendments, it will be the prerogative of the prime minister to appoint, reappoint or grant an extension to the army chief in the future. This decision cannot be challenged in a court of law for any reason whatsoever.

The federal cabinet has proposed a three-year extension in the tenure of the army chief suggesting that General Bajwa would continue to serve in the position till 2023. There will be no multiple extensions for the army chief. The maximum age will be increased to 64 years if granted an extension but the regular age limit will remains sixty years.

The federal government has sought a stay order from the Supreme Court to suspend the verdict passed in the army chief extension case. The government had an even greater task to get the draft bill approved by parliament as the support of the opposition was vital to pass the legislation. Defence Minister Pervez Khattak was assigned to meet with opposition members to reach consensus over the matter.

Surprisingly, the opposition parties particularly the PML-N and PPP swiftly agreed to support the bill. It seems that all political differences are tossed aside when the matter came to the armed forces. It would be a national embarrassment if there was any politicking over the matter and a lack of legislation forced the army chief to retire after six months.

The PM’s aide on information has stated that opposition parties are patriotic and would not take any decision against national sovereignty. PML-N assured complete support as Khattak meet with party leaders, while the PPP has shown intentions to support the bill when tabled in parliament. There certainly seems to have been some backdoor diplomacy to secure the opposition’s support on the matter.

It was already predicted that opposition parties won’t create any fuss over the COAS extension and will instead stand in line to sign the bill. It shows that matters can be easily resolved if the government and opposition discuss issues in the larger national interest. Now it needs to be seen whether there will be a similar consensus on other issues for the development of the nation or more rounds of politicking.