A meeting of the Standing Committee on Defence has been summoned again today (Monday) to discuss the Army Act, Air Force Act and Navy Act amendment bills.
According to the National Assembly Secretariat, the rules and regulations of parliament were violated during the January 3 session of the committee. Sources said that in the meeting of the standing committee that took place on January 3, Parliamentary Secretary Captain Jamil Ahmed presided over the session, which was in violation of the rules and regulations of parliament.
Sources further said Ahmed did not call for a vote when the time came to approve the bills. Hence, Amjad Khan Niazi will chair the session of the standing committee when it meets again to discuss the amendment bills today.
In the meeting that took place on January 3, members of the Senate had been called to discuss the bills. However, senators have not been asked to attend the meeting of the standing committee today, which will again discuss the same bills. It must be kept in mind that the committee had accepted all three bills during the meeting that took place on January 3.
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have already given their assent to the amendment bills. The PML-N has announced it will support the bill ‘unconditionally’, while the PPP called for the ‘democratic legislative process’ to be followed. These laws will set the maximum age limit of the three services chiefs – chief of army staff, chief of air staff and chief of naval staff- at 64 years. If the bills are passed, the prime minister will have the power to extend the tenure of any service chief and the president will give his final nod.
