ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Friday passed four bills, including the Pakistan Army Amendment Bill 2025, Pakistan Air Force Amendment Bill 2025, Pakistan Navy Amendment Bill 2025, and the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Amendment Bill 2025.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar on behalf of Federal Minister of Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif piloted the Pakistan Army Act (Amendment) Bill 2025 and the Pakistan Air Force (Amendment) Bill 2025 as passed by the National Assembly.
Meanwhile, Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif moved the Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bill 2025, in the House.
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary on behalf of Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar moved the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure (Amendment) Bill 2025 in the Senate.
The Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill seeks to replace the expression ‘chief of the army staff’ with ‘chief of the defence forces’ (CDF) as per the 27th Amendment. Similarly, it suggests replacing the ‘Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee’ with the ‘commander of the National Strategic Command’.
Another important amendment to Section 8A of the Pakistan Army Act 1952 said that “provided that for the first appointment of the chief of the army staff concurrently the chief of the defence forces under paragraph (a) of Clause 4 of the Article 243 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the tenure under this section shall commence from the date of notification of the said office”.
Another amendment regarding the appointment of commander of the National Strategic Command said, “The prime minister may, on the recommendation of the chief of the army staff concurrently the chief of the defence forces, appoint the commander of the National Strategic Command, from amongst generals in the Pakistan Army, for a tenure of three years.”
Article 243 provisions applicable to a Field Marshal will also apply to a General promoted to the rank. The federal government may authorise the Vice Chief of Army Staff or Deputy Chief of Army Staff to exercise powers of the COAS, underwritten orders issued on the CDF’s recommendation.
A major structural change approved in the bill is the abolition of the post of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), to be replaced by the Commander of the National Strategic Command. The prime minister may appoint the commander from among serving Pakistan Army generals for a three-year term, on the COAS/CDF’s recommendation.
The terms and conditions of the appointment will be set by the prime minister, who may also grant a three-year extension in the national security interest. The bill states that any appointment, reappointment or extension for the Commander shall not be challenged before any court.
In the Pakistan Air Force (Amendment) Bill, 2025 sections 10D, 10E and 10F of the Pakistan Air Force Act, 1953 were omitted, which earlier dealt with the appointment of the PAF chief as CJCSC, his tenure, extension and retirement. All references to the CJCSC have been omitted across the Act.
Similarly, sections 14D, 14E and 14F were omitted from Pakistan Navy Act through the Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bill, 2025 which dealt with appointment and tenure of the Naval Chief as CJCSC. –Agencies
