ISLAMABAD: The Senate of Pakistan on Wednesday swiftly approved three separate bills regarding the appointment, reappointment and tenure of services chiefs, including the country’s powerful army chief.
The bills were tabled by Defense Minister Pervez Khattak in the upper House proposing amendments to Pakistan Army Act 1952, Pakistan Air Force Act 1953 and Pakistan Navy Ordinance 1961.
The new legislation gives the president of the country power to re-appoint or extend the existing tenure of the tri-services chiefs and the chairman of the joint chief of staff committee. It also ensures that courts cannot challenge such tenure extensions in future.
The bills will now require presidential assent as formality before becoming law.
On Tuesday, the National Assembly had also approved the said bills with thumbnail majority despite little resistance and objections of some parties.
The major opposition parties in the National Assembly – Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) – voted in favor of the bills while members of Jamat-e-Islami and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazal and lawmakers from the tribal districts walked out of the house in protest.
Prime Minister Imran Khan also made a rare appearance in the house and remained seated during the voting process on the bills on Tuesday.
The passage of the army (amendment) act from the parliament will pave the way for a three-year tenure extension in Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s service.
The PPP also withdrew its amendments in the bills following a request by Defense Minister Pervez Khattak.
Speaking on the floor of the House, PPP legislator Naveed Qamar said that his party was withdrawing the amendments “keeping in mind the regional situation and to send a unified message” through the house.
Then National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser put the bills, one by one, to vote in the house, the PPP and PML-N lawmakers supported them while a dozen of other opposition legislators walked out of the house in protest.
“The retirement age and service limits prescribed for a General, under the rules and regulations made under this act, shall not be applicable to the Chief of the Army Staff, during his tenure of appointment, reappointment, or extension, subject to a maximum age of sixty four (64) years,” the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Act, 2020, reads.
The amendment bill also empowers the president to “reappoint the Chief of the Army Staff for additional tenure of three years,” or extend his tenure for another three years on the advice of the Prime Minister, “in the national security interest or exigencies, from time to time.”
The federal cabinet last Wednesday approved amendments in the army, navy and air force acts in a hurriedly convened meeting to plug legal lacunae in the appointment and reappointment of services chiefs as pointed out by the Supreme Court in its verdict in November last year.
Prime Minister Khan extended General Bajwa’s tenure through a notification in August 2019, but the Supreme Court suspended it on Nov 26, 2019, citing procedural irregularities and loopholes in the relevant laws.
The court later announced that General Bajwa would remain the army chief for another six months during which parliament would legislate on army chief’s extension/reappointment.
Pakistan Senate approves services chiefs’ tenure bills
https://arab.news/n8h92
Pakistan Senate approves services chiefs’ tenure bills
- The legislation now requires presidential assent to come into effect
- Passage of the Army (amendments) Act will pave way for General Bajwa’s contested three-year tenure extension
Pakistan forms committee to negotiate financial advisory services for Islamabad airport privatization
- Committee to engage Asian Development Bank to negotiate terms of financial advisory services agreement, says privatization ministry
- Inaugurated in 2018, Islamabad airport has faced criticism over construction delays, poor facilities and operational inefficiencies
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Privatization Ministry announced on Wednesday that it has formed a committee to engage the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to negotiate a potential financial advisory services agreement for the privatization of Islamabad International Airport.
The Islamabad International Airport, inaugurated in 2018 at a cost of over $1 billion, has faced criticism over construction delays, poor facilities, and operational inefficiencies.
The Negotiation Committee formed by the Privatization Commission will engage with the ADB to negotiate the terms of a potential Financial Advisory Services Agreement (FASA) for the airport’s privatization, the ministry said.
“The Negotiation Committee has been mandated to undertake negotiations and submit its recommendations to the Board for consideration and approval, in line with the applicable regulatory framework,” the Privatization Ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said Islamabad airport operations will be outsourced under a concession model through an open and competitive process to enhance its operational efficiency and improve service delivery standards.
Pakistan has recently sought to privatize or outsource management of several state-run enterprises under conditions agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as part of a $7 billion bailout approved in September last year.
Islamabad hopes outsourcing airport operations will bring operational expertise, enhance passenger experience and restore confidence in the aviation sector.
In December 2025, Pakistan’s government successfully privatized its national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), selling 75 percent of its stakes to a consortium led by the Arif Habib Group.
The group secured a 75 percent stake in the PIA for Rs135 billion ($482 million) after several rounds of bidding, valuing the airline at Rs180 billion ($643 million).
Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said this week the government has handed over 26 state-owned enterprises to the Privatization Commission.
