Staff Reporter
Islamabad
The National Assembly will take up the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill on Wednesday as the ruling PTI and the main opposition group – PML-N had agreed on Saturday to resend the bill separately to the relevant NA and Senate panels for its review and approval.
The government on Friday had tabled three bills in the National Assembly to provide legal cover to the appointment and extension in the tenures of the services chiefs – In pursuance of the Supreme Court’s November 28 ruling.
Interestingly, the speaker had sent the bills to the defence committees of the Senate and the National Assembly for further deliberations and these committees had approved the bills with consensus in a joint meeting, co-chaired by Captain (retd) Jameel Ahmad and Senator Waleed Iqbal
The NA was set to meet again on Saturday. However, the PPP – the third biggest political force in the country – raised objection to violation of parliamentary procedures and later the session was deferred till Wednesday as the bills will be re-sent to the committees separately.
Talking with reference to the development, the PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter that the PML-N and PTI had agreed to unconditionally pass the Army Act on Friday in both houses, ignoring parliamentary procedure, without even circulating the bill to all members or sending the legislation for committee oversight.
“However, I’m pleased all have now agreed that the bill will go back to NA committee, will also be reviewed by the Senate committee and follow the procedure of both houses.”
Bilawal further noted that all institutions that – according to him – derive powers from parliament have asked the political forces to pass legislation and accepted parliamentary supremacy.
“This is positive that parliament that has been dormant for over a year is ready to legislate. These are important victories for those who have always battled for parliamentary supremacy and democracy,” he added.
