The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Thursday decided to unconditionally support amendments to the Army Act as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government reached out to members of the opposition parties to garner support for giving a three-year extension to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Reports said the PML-N decided to unconditionally support the amendment after a meeting of the party’s parliamentary members received a message from the top leadership, advising it to fully back the amendment bill when it is tabled in the parliament by the government. The PML-N leadership reportedly said it does not want the position of the COAS to become controversial, and has thus decided to support the PTI government in a bid to amend the Army Act under the directions of the Supreme Court in this regard.
A delegation of PTI lawmakers, including Defence Minister Khattak, Leader of the House in Senate Shibli Faraz and Senator Azam Swati, met PML-N leaders, where the latter assured their support for the proposed amendments. The PML-N delegation comprised Khawaja Asif, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Rana Tanvir, among others.
PML-N Senator Mushahidullah Khan, while talking to media, said the party leadership in London has given the nod to support the amendments through consensus.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto, meanwhile, took to Twitter to urge parties not to sidestep the democratic process. “Government committee arrived at Zardari house to discuss upcoming legislation. The Peoples Party wants to positively engage with the democratic legislative process. Some parties seem to want to side step the legislative process,” he tweeted. “The more important the legislation the more important it is for us to follow the democratic process. PPP will take this up with other political parties as well,” he added.
A delegation of PTI lawmakers, including Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, Ali Muhammad Khan and Qasim Suri, met PPP leaders, including Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, on Thursday evening.
The PPP leaders at the meeting that took place at Zardari House included Raja Pervez Ashraf, Nayyar Bukhari, Sherry Rehman, Raza Rabbani, Shazia Marri and Naveed Qamar.
According to reports, the PPP assured its support for the amendments, but raised concern over the fact that details of the amendments have not been shared with the opposition lawmakers. The government is likely to introduce the amendment bill in parliament on Friday (today) after building a consensus with the opposition on the matter. On Wednesday, the proposed amendments were rushed through the federal cabinet, which unanimously granted its approval for the changes, both to the constitution and the Army Act.
According to the amendment bill, the legislation shall be called ‘Pakistan Army (Amendment) Act, 2020’. Under the clause 8B of the bill, the president, on the advice of the prime minister, may ‘reappoint the Chief of the Army Staff for additional tenure of three (03) years, on such terms and conditions, as may be determined by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister, in the national security interest or exigencies, from time to time’. “Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act or any other law, or any order or judgement of any Court, the appointment, reappointment or extension of the Chief of the Army Staff, or the exercise of discretion by the appointing authority in this regard, shall not be called into question before any court on any ground whatsoever.”
While addressing media on Thursday, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said the matters of national interest should not be politicised. She was hopeful that the parliament will play its legal and constitutional role to settle an issue currently being discussed in the parliament ‘once and for all’. “We all have a responsibility to Pakistan’s institutions, which are the guarantors of national well-being,” she said.
Awan said that the parliament has been approached for a matter which falls under the executive domain of the prime minister. “God willing, with a consensus, we will settle this important issue and parliament will play a key role,” she said.
Apparently comparing the issue of extension in Gen Bajwa’s tenure to the appointment of India’s army chief as the country’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Awan said in the neighbouring country (India), the defence minister used the authority of the state’s executive branch for the appointment of the army chief as the CDS. “There (in India) you did not see any discussion or debate in the media and neither was this type of commotion created,” she added.
“Matters of national interest, connected to our national identity, should be devoid of politics and the tradition of politicising them in Pakistan should end,” she said, adding the matter being discussed in the parliament is related to Pakistani institutions and not a specific political party or personality.