ISLAMABAD: Defence committees of the National Assembly and Senate approved on Friday the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill.
The bill was approved during a joint session of the defence committees. Senator Waleed Iqbal, chairman of the Senate committee on defence, said the committee members were especially invited to the session.
He said the opposition presented no amendment during the session. It only sought answers to some questions which were given, Iqbal added.
The session approved Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bills too.
The federal government earlier agreed to send its amendments in the Army Act to the standing committees on defence.
This was decided after the second meeting between the government and opposition on the matter. The PML-N has already announced its support for the bill while the PPP’s condition of it being sent to the standing committee for review has been agreed to.
The bill was presented during Friday’s National Assembly session by Defence Minister Pervez Khattak. The session was then adjourned till 11am on Saturday and the bill was sent to the standing committee.
Separately, PPP head Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the PML-N announced its support for the bill without consulting other opposition parties. He said the bill itself is not difficult, but the government has made it difficult. He said the issue can be resolved by reaching a consensus.
The Army Act Amendment Bill, approved by the federal cabinet, proposes to extend the retirement age of services chiefs to 64 years, Federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry said Wednesday.
The cabinet had approved amendments in Section 172 of the Army Act and Article 155 of the Services Rules, according to Defence Minister Pervez Khattak.
The amendments will be voted on and if approved, will pave the way for an extended term for Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Speaking to the media, the premier’s special assistant on information, Firdous Ashiq Awan, said she is hopeful the amendments will be passed through a democratic process.
Read more: Government tables in NA, send Army Act to standing committee
