Staff Reporter
Islamabad
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Defence unanimously approved the three bills concerning tenures of the services chiefs and the chairman of joint chiefs of staff committee, Defence Minister Pervez Khattak confirmed on Monday.
“The amendments were passed unanimously by the body. I congratulate the entire country and the opposition parties,” the minister said, adding that these bills will now be put up for voting in the NA tomorrow.
Responding to a journalist’s question, Khattak said all political parties were on the same page regarding the matter.
“No one has backtracked, we should avoid rumour mongering. All political parties are on the same page and are standing alongside the armed forces.”
Meanwhile, Law Minister Farogh Naseem, while talking to media personnel after the approval, said the “opposition was looking for the creation of a role for a parliamentary committee [for services chiefs’ appointment]”.
“But I convinced them legally that the changes they are recommending require a constitutional amendment,” the law minister added. “A parliamentary committee’s role will come into play only after a constitutional amendment creates that role… and even the Supreme Court has not asked us to amend the Constitution,” he said, adding that the opposition members accepted his arguments with a “big heart”.
The bills were reconsidered by the NA committee on Monday after the body had earlier approved the amendments in a rushed session on Friday.
