SC grants six months extension service to COAS Bajwa

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has granted Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa an extension in his service for six months.

A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khosa, Justice Mian Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah heard the case.

Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa in a verdict stated that the extension has been granted to General Qamar Javed Bajwa from 28th November.

CJP Khosa further stated that the court would examine the legislation after six months.

Read more: SC adjourns COAS extension case till 1pm, verdict reserved

The attorney general informed the court that General Qamar Bajwa has been reappointed under Article 243, to which the CJP remarked that you have to convince us this was legal.

Furthermore, the court has sought an undertaking from the government that it would legislate on the matter within six months.

The extension will be effective from 28th November i.e. from today.

Earlier today, the court sought the extension notification regarding the extension in the tenure of former army chief General (retd) Ashfaq Pervez Kayani.

Also read: Law Minister Farogh Naseem resigns

Chief Justice Pakistan asked the Attorney General to submit the documents of General (retd) Raheel Sharif’s retirement, along with the retirement notification.

After the arguments from the AG and Farogh Naseem, the bench stated that the court will announce the short order in the afternoon while the detailed verdict would be issued in the evening.

The COAS was scheduled to retire on 29th November 2019 but the premier Imran Khan extended his services for another three years which today has been turned down by the supreme court. 

Also read: SC suspends COAS’s extension notification

General Bajwa took command of the Pakistan Army on 29th November 2016 as the 16th Chief of Army Staff when the country had been fighting a fierce war against terror, and faced internal and external challenges.