The 27th Constitutional Amendment bill presented in parliament proposes changes to Article 243 of the Constitution, which deals with the armed forces among other issues
Pakistan on Saturday brought in a Constitutional amendment to create a new post of chief of defence forces to ensure greater coordination and unified command among the three services.
The 27th Constitutional Amendment bill presented in parliament proposes changes to Article 243 of the Constitution, which deals with the armed forces among other issues.
Under the amendment bill, the President will appoint the Army Chief and the Chief of Defence Force on the advice of the Prime Minister.
The Chief of Army Staff, who will also be the Chief of Defence Forces, will appoint the head of the National Strategic Command in consultation with the Prime Minister. The head of the National Strategic Command will be from the Pakistan Army, it adds.
The government will be able to promote individuals from the armed forces to the ranks of Field Marshal, Marshal of the Air Force and Admiral of the Fleet. The rank and privileges of Field Marshal will be for life, meaning that Field Marshals will remain Field Marshals for life.
The bill says that the post of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee will expire on November 27, 2025.
According to a local media report on Friday, the move is said to have been inspired by lessons drawn from the four-day conflict between Pakistan and India in May and the evolving nature of modern warfare that demands integrated operational response.
In response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in territories controlled by Pakistan. The strikes triggered four days of intense clashes that ended with an understanding on stopping the military actions on May 10.
Air Chief Marshal A P Singh last month said at least a dozen Pakistani military aircraft, including US-origin F-16 jets, were destroyed or damaged in Indian strikes.
India has been maintaining that Pakistan pleaded for ending the hostilities in May after the Indian military pounded various Pakistani military infrastructure.
Soon after the conflict, the Pakistan government promoted Army Chief General Asim Munir to the rank of Field Marshal, making him the second top military officer in the country’s history to be elevated to the position.
The 27th Constitutional Amendment bill also proposes to set up a Federal Constitutional Court, change the process for appointing high court judges, and change the threshold for provincial cabinets.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar presented the bill in the Senate, the upper house, hours after it was approved by the cabinet.
Tarar said that the bill had 49 clauses. “Let me clarify that there are three main areas and two ancillary. It will address five subject areas,” he said.
Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gillani referred the bill, as introduced, to the Standing Committees on Law and Justice for review and consideration.
He said that both committees may hold joint meetings for a detailed review and consideration, and the report would be presented before the House.
Opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Ali Zafar said that debating the constitutional amendment was not appropriate when the leader of the opposition’s seat remained vacant.
He said that the government and its allied parties appeared to be in a hurry to pass the bill.
“I would suggest that instead of sending it to the committee, let this Senate be treated as a committee as a whole,” he said, suggesting the bill be debated by all individuals.
The PTI leader further said that the opposition had received the draft only on Saturday and had not yet read a word of it.
“We cannot debate something we have not read,” he said.
Earlier, shortly before the Senate session, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had chaired the cabinet meeting via video link from Azerbaijan, according to state-run PTV News.
“The federal cabinet approved the draft for the 27th Constitutional Amendment and welcomed it to the fullest extent,” it had added.
