Daily Times

Federal Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed has said all political parties are on the same page regarding the extension in the tenure of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

“The army chief’s issue isn’t problematic. Everyone is unanimous on his extension. All parties are on board [with the federal government],” said Rasheed while addressing the media in Karachi.

Speaking about PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s fake accounts case, Sh Rasheed excused himself from answering and said, “The prime minister has specifically told me not to speak about the legal side.”

When asked if there was any conflict between national institutions, he stressed that all institutions are on the same page. He added that PM Khan will complete his five-year-term.

In a separate development, the federal government has filed a review petition against the Supreme Court’s verdict in the army chief extension case.

Law Minister Farogh Nasim and the attorney general have prepared the first draft of the review petition.

PM Khan had appointed the current COAS for another term of three years on August 19, 2019. The president then granted him the extension.

The extension was then challenged on the grounds that it is offensive to Article 243(4)(b) of the Constitution. The case was initially filed by the Jurists’ Foundation but after it asked to withdraw the case, the court decided to take it up itself. During the hearing, the court explored the scope of Article 243 of the Constitution, and the Pakistan Army Act, 1952.

The court extended on November 28 Bajwa’s tenure by six months and ordered the government to make a law regulating such appointments. The detailed verdict was released on December 16.