Senate passes Army Act Amendment Bill with majority vote

The Senate on Friday approved the Army Act Amendment Bill 2025, okaying the changes to laws governing the three branches of the armed forces, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The National Assembly had already given its approval to the Bill on Thursday. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif introduced the Pakistan Army Act (Amendment) Bill 2025, the Pakistan Air Force (Amendment) Bill 2025 and the Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bill 2025, which were also passed with a majority vote in the lower house of the parliament.

The government was of the view that the bill was meant to harmonise the existing laws with the recently signed 27th Constitutional Amendment Act.

In total, the Upper House passed four bills, including the Pakistan Army Amendment Bill 2025, Pakistan Air Force Amendment Bill 2025, Pakistan Navy Amendment Bill 2025, and the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Amendment Bill 2025.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar on behalf of Federal Minister of Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif piloted the Pakistan Army Act (Amendment) Bill 2025 and the Pakistan Air Force (Amendment) Bill 2025 as passed by the National Assembly.

Meanwhile, Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif moved the Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bill 2025, in the House.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary on behalf of Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar moved the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure (Amendment) Bill 2025 in the Senate.

The Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill seeks to replace the expression ‘chief of the army staff’ with ‘chief of the defence forces’ (CDF) as per the 27th Amendment. Similarly, it suggests replacing the ‘Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee’ with the ‘commander of the National Strategic Command’.

Another important amendment to Section 8A of the Pakistan Army Act 1952 said that “provided that for the first appointment of the chief of the army staff concurrently the chief of the defence forces under paragraph (a) of Clause 4 of the Article 243 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the tenure under this section shall commence from the date of notification of the said office”.

Another amendment regarding the appointment of commander of the National Strategic Command said, “The prime minister may, on the recommendation of the chief of the army staff concurrently the chief of the defence forces, appoint the commander of the National Strategic Command, from amongst generals in the Pakistan Army, for a tenure of three years.”

Article 243 provisions applicable to a Field Marshal will also apply to a General promoted to the rank. The federal government may authorise the Vice Chief of Army Staff or Deputy Chief of Army Staff to exercise powers of the COAS, underwritten orders issued on the CDF’s recommendation.

A major structural change approved in the bill is the abolition of the post of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), to be replaced by the Commander of the National Strategic Command. The prime minister may appoint the commander from among serving Pakistan Army generals for a three-year term, on the COAS/CDF’s recommendation.

The terms and conditions of the appointment will be set by the prime minister, who may also grant a three-year extension in the national security interest. The bill states that any appointment, reappointment or extension for the Commander shall not be challenged before any court.

In the Pakistan Air Force (Amendment) Bill, 2025 sections 10D, 10E and 10F of the Pakistan Air Force Act, 1953 were omitted, which earlier dealt with the appointment of the PAF chief as CJCSC, his tenure, extension and retirement. All references to the CJCSC have been omitted across the Act.

Similarly, sections 14D, 14E and 14F were omitted from Pakistan Navy Act through the Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bill, 2025 which dealt with appointment and tenure of the Naval Chief as CJCSC.

The law minister told NA on Thursday that the change in the Army Act was to make the COAS the CDF and to eliminate the post of the chairman joint chiefs of staff committee (CJCSC), adding the CDF’s term would be five years from the date of appointment.

The amendment further said that the tenure of the incumbent army chief would recommence from the date of his notification as the CDF.

The changes also included replacing the position of the CJCSC with the commander of the National Strategic Command (CNSC). They outlined that the prime minister would appoint the CNSC on the recommendation of the army chief from the generals of the army for a three-year tenure.

It added that the prime minister could also reappoint the CNSC or extend his tenure by three years on the army chief’s recommendation.

The changes further said that the prime minister could, on the army chief’s recommendation, authorise an officer appointed as the vice or deputy chief of army staff to exercise and perform the powers and functions vested in the army chief.

The amendments to the air force and navy laws included the elimination of the post of CJCSC from their documents.

Reporter Usman Khan