ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Thursday passed two bills pertaining to the military and nuclear command structure in a session that saw the opposition staging a walkout and the PPP — an ally of the ruling PML-N — objecting to the manner in which the legislation was presented.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif presented the two bills — the Defence Forces of Pakistan Act, 2026 and the amended National Command Authority Act, 2010 — while the opposition walked out.
Meanwhile, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari raised objections to the way in which the bills were presented; however, the party lawmakers later voted in favour of the bills.
Bilawal, speaking on the floor of the NA, lashed out at the government for not taking ruling allies on board while making legislation. Bilawal said he supported the bills but not the way they were presented.
“I personally apologise for what is happening to you,” he said, referring to the prime minister, and “ruling allies and the opposition”. “The legislation is not controversial, but why is such legislation being made controversially?” he asked.
The bills were not on the NA’s agenda for today. Earlier in the day, they were approved by the federal cabinet meeting, which was chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The premier was also in the NA when the bills were presented and left after the NA’s approval for the legislation.
The session was adjourned till 11am on Friday.
A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) after the federal cabinet meeting said the bills had been prepared in continuation of the tweaks made to the Constitution under the 27th Amendment.
The Defence Forces Act, it said, “aims to determine the relevant administrative matters regarding the office of the Chief of Defence Forces and the Chief of Defence Forces Headquarters”.
Meanwhile, the amendments to the National Command Authority Act were described as “a necessary process” following the 27th Constitutional Amendment.
The 27th Constitutional Amendment, enacted in November last year, fundamentally altered Pakistan’s higher defence architecture by abolishing the office of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and creating the new position of chief of defence forces, concurrently held by the chief of army staff.
Field Marshal Asim Munir became the country’s first chief of defence forces following the constitutional changes.
The Amendment also resulted in the creation of the Commander of the National Strategic Command (CNSC) post, a four-star office that oversees the operational integration of Pakistan’s strategic forces.
Last month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had promoted Gen Syed Aamer Raza from the rank of lieutenant general and simultaneously appointed him as the country’s first CNSC.
Following his appointment, amendments in the National Command Authority Act, 2010, which still reflects the pre-27th Amendment military hierarchy, are needed.
