Pakistan: National Assembly Passes Bill To Extend Tenure Of Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa 

Pakistan’s National Assembly, the lower house of the country’s Parliament, on Tuesday (07 January) passed three crucial bills to give extension to Pakistani Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa for another three years, reports India Today.

Bajwa, who is reportedly a close confidante of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, was set to retire on 29 November last year at the end of his three-year original term.

Citing regional security in the region as the reason, Imran Khan gave Bajwa another extension through a notification on 19 August which was later challenged in the Supreme Court. The apex court suspended the government directive on the ground that there was no law to give extension to the Army chief.

However, the Supreme Court granted a six month extension to Bajwa after government assured it that a law will be passed by the Parliament for extending the tenure of Army chief.

Following the passage of the bills, the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill 2020, the Pakistan Air Force (Amendment) Bill 2020 and the Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bill 2020, in the lower house, they will now go for the approval of the Senate, the upper house of the Parliament.

Once cleared by the two houses, the bills will be presented to the President for final approval to be promulgated.

However, the hurry in which the bill was passed has not gone down well with many people in Pakistan.

Pakistani journalist Naila Inayat has questioned the speed in which the Army Amendment Bill was passed in the lower house.

“In just 30 seconds, yes 30 seconds, the national assembly of Pakistan passed the Army Amendment Bill, paving way for Gen Bajwa's extension,” Inayat tweeted.

It should be noted that Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal and Jamat-e-Islami had boycotted the session as they were not happy with the new bills.