Pakistan parliament to vote on army chief extension law

Pakistan parliament to vote on army chief extension law

3-year extension suspended by court in November, government given 6-month grace period to clarify law

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) – The parliament is likely to pass a much-awaited legislation on Friday to validate a three-year extension in the term of the country’s powerful army chief, local media reported.

Opposition parties, including the embattled Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, in a rare show of cooperation on Thursday voiced support for the legislation.

Prime Minister Imran Khan in August last year extended Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa’s term for another three years.

However, the country's top court in November suspended Khan's order and allowed the government to grant only a six-month extension to the army chief.

The court ruled that in the next six months the government should clarify the law related to the extension. Failure to do so would make the appointment illegal, it added.

The proposed law dubbed Pakistan Army Act Amendment Bill 2020 will be put to a vote in the upper and lower houses of the parliament, broadcaster Geo News reported.

If it is passed, the prime minister will have the power to extend the army chief's tenure for three years.

The court ruling had sent shockwaves as the powerful army dominates the political landscape in the South Asian nuclear-armed nation.

Previously, the terms of army chiefs have been extended without any objection by the courts.

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