National Assembly Advances Military Bills Amid Opposition Walkout and PPP Objections

In a contentious session on Thursday, the National Assembly of Pakistan passed two significant pieces of legislation regarding the military and nuclear command structures, despite objections from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and a subsequent walkout by the opposition.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif introduced the Defence Forces Act, 2010, and amendments to the National Command Authority Act, 2010, which had been approved earlier by the federal cabinet led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Notably, these bills were not included in the assembly's agenda prior to the meeting.

PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari raised concerns about the lack of consultation before the bills were introduced, underscoring the discontent among coalition partners. The session concluded with the assembly adjourning until 11 am on Friday.

The Prime Minister's Office stated that these legislative changes follow the 27th Constitutional Amendment, which significantly restructured Pakistan’s military hierarchy, including the establishment of a new Chief of Defence Forces position held by Field Marshal Asim Munir.

Moreover, the bills were deemed essential after the constitutional changes, which also led to the creation of the Commander of the National Strategic Command post, aimed at enhancing the integration of Pakistan's strategic forces.

Source: www.dawn.com