ISLAMABAD: The Senate swiftly passed four bills related to the recently approved contentious 27th Constitutional Amendment on Friday, including one that seeks changes to the Army Act and resets the tenure of Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir after his appointment as the chief of the defence forces (CDF).
As explained by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar in the National Assembly (NA) yesterday, this means that the five-year tenure of the chief of the defence forces would commence from the date of his notification of the appointment.
The four bills were passed by the Senate today — a day after their hurried passage in the National Assembly — without debate and with little resistance from the opposition.
Apart from the Pakistan Army Amendment Bill 2025, the bills also included the Pakistan Air Force Amendment Bill 2025, the Pakistan Navy Amendment Bill 2025, and the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Amendment Bill 2025.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar tabled the Pakistan Army Amendment Bill 2025 and the Pakistan Air Force Amendment Bill 2025 on behalf of Defence Minister Khawaja Asif until he joined the session.
Asif presented the Pakistan Navy Amendment Bill 2025 when he arrived in the house. After him, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry tabled the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Amendment Bill 2025 on behalf of Law Minister Tarar.
As Dar began presenting the bills, he explained that the bill sought changes to the relevant laws in line with the 27th Constitutional Amendment, which was enacted into law yesterday.
The passage of the Amendment, which has paved the way for the establishment of a Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) and changes to the military leadership structure, has been heavily criticised by the opposition.
Former and sitting judges, as well as lawyers, have also voiced opposition to the Amendment, particularly citing its implications for the Supreme Court.
But, little resistance by the opposition to the passage of the four bills in the Senate was witnessed today.
