President signs amendment bills into law
- Under the Army Amendment Bill, the COAS will concurrently serve as the Chief of the Defence Forces for a five-year tenure
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday signed into law the Pakistan Army, Air Force, and Navy (Amendments) Bills, 2025, after their passage by both houses of Parliament under the ambit of the 27th Constitutional Amendment.
According to the President’s Office, the president signed the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill 2025, the Pakistan Air Force (Amendment) Bill 2025, and the Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bill 2025, thereby turning them into law.
Under the Army Amendment Bill, the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) will concurrently serve as the Chief of the Defence Forces (CDF) for a five-year tenure. The existing tenure of the incumbent COAS, Field Marshal Asim Munir, will recommence from the date of issuance of the new notification.
Under the revised Army Act, the expression “chief of the army staff” will be replaced with “chief of the defence forces,” while the title “Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee” (CJCSC) will be replaced with “Commander of the National Strategic Command.”
Armed forces: changes to laws approved by NA
The law also states: “For the first appointment of the chief of the army staff concurrently the chief of the defence forces under paragraph (a) of Clause 4 of Article 243 of the Constitution, the tenure under this section shall commence from the date of notification of the said office.”
Another key change relates to the appointment of the Commander of the National Strategic Command. The amended law provides: “The prime minister may, on the recommendation of the chief of the army staff concurrently the chief of the defence forces, appoint the commander of the National Strategic Command from among generals of the Pakistan Army for tenure of three years.”
The prime minister may reappoint the commander for additional three-year tenure or extend it by up to three years on the CDF’s recommendation.
The law further states: “Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, the office of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee shall stand abolished with effect from November 27, 2025.”
Corresponding amendments to the Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan Navy laws also remove references to the CJCSC from their respective legal frameworks.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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