Services Acts Amendment bills to be presented in NA for approval today

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – The Services Acts Amendment bills will be presented in the National Assembly for approval on Tuesday. Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak will present the bills. After the approval from the National Assembly, the three bills will be presented in the Senate. On the other hand, Prime Minister Imran Khan will preside over a meeting of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and allies to devise a strategy for legislation pertaining to armed forces today. On Monday, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Defence approved the Services Acts Amendment bills pertaining to the three armed forces. Talking to the media after the meeting, NA Standing Committee on Defence Chairman Amjad Khan Niazi said that they are thankful to all parties for approving the amendment laws. “We listened to the amendments presented by the opposition. The draft is not part of the law. In the current situation, we gave the message that we are one where there is the national interest,” he said. He said that their ideas could be different, but politics could not be played on each thing. Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak said that the Services Acts Amendment bills have been approved unanimously. “The standing committee has unanimously given the approval. The country belongs to all of us. All political parties and entire country are standing with the Army,” he said. PTI leader Ramesh said that the PPP and the PML-N had fully supported the amendment acts. “The PPP had presented a recommended, which was a constitutional amendment. The Acts have been approved unanimously,” he said. Three separate bills – pertaining to amendments to the Army Act, the Navy Act and the Air Force Act – were approved unanimously by the committee. Prior to the development, the federal government tabled the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Act, 2020, to amend the in place Army Act and the Constitution, primarily in order to give a three-year extension to Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa. The legislation, which will fix 64 years as the maximum age limit of the three services chiefs — chief of army staff, chief of air staff and chief of naval staff — and the chairman of the joint chief of staff committee, was presented by Defence Minister Pervez Khattak. According to the proposed legislation, the prime minister will have the prerogative to give an extension to any of them in the future after completion of their normal tenure at the age of 60 years and the president will have the power to give the final nod.