Three-member committee to lead efforts on army chief tenure legislation

Three-member committee to lead efforts on army chief tenure legislation

Islamabad (Agencies): ISLAMABAD: The PTI-led government on Monday formed a three-member committee to lead the effort for drafting new legislation on the extension of army chief’s tenure.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Defence Minister Pervez Khattak and Minister for Planning Asad Omar are part of the committee.

The move comes after the country’s top court gave the incumbent government six months to legislate and iron out the lacunae in the reappointment or extension of tenure of an army chief.

In its short order the top court directed the government to bring necessary legislation within six months' time.

A three-member SC bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khan Khosa and comprising Justice Mazhar Alam Khan and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah heard the case pertaining to to extension in Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s tenure for next three years.

As per the order, the court directed the parliament to introduce legislation for appointment of army chief under Article 243.

CJP Justice Khosa remarked that the court is observing judicial restraint and leaving the matter to the parliament. We have reviewed several laws including Army Act 1952 and Rule 1954, the chief judge said.