ISLAMABAD: The Upper House of the Parliament has nodded its approval to five bills, including four government bills that have been passed in accordance with the recently passed 27th Constitutional Amendment.
The fifth legislative draft, being a private-member bill, is related to the establishment of a university in Multan.
Of the aforementioned bills, Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the House in Senate Ishaq Dar presented the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and Pakistan Air Force (Amendment) Bill, 2025, whereas Defence Minister Khawaja Asif presented the Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bill, 2025 in the Senate session on Friday.
Law Minister Azam Tarar presented the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
The opposition side objected to the presentation of these government bills. Humayun Mohmand from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Kamran Murtaza from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) demanded that the bills be referred to the relevant standing committees for a thorough review.
However, Chairman Senate Yousaf Raza Gilani allowed the bills’ presentation for passage, instead of referring them to the committees concerned.
The treasury side was of the view that bills were consequential to the constitutional amendment already passed by the Parliament, and, were, therefore not required to be reviewed by the relevant committees.
Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2025 bill provides to abolish the position of chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff committee (CJCSC) with effect from 27 November 2025, and creation of the positions of the commander of the National Strategic Command, and chief of the defence forces; their service tenures, and related aspects.
The Pakistan Air Force (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bill, 2025 mainly seek the abolishment of CJCSC position.
“It has been considered expedient to make consistent the subject laws with the proposed Constitutional Amendment Act, 2025 and to make consequential amendments in these laws. The Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2025, the Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Pakistan Air Force (Amendment) Bill, 2025, prepared for the said purpose, respectively. This bill has been designed to achieve the aforesaid objective,” reads the Statement of Objects and Reasons of all the three armed forces-related bills.
The Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Amendment Bill, 2025 provides for empowering the Federal Constitutional Court to make rules to regulate its practice and procedure.
Jointly moved by Awami National Party (ANP) lawmakers Hidayatullah Khan and Umer Farooq, the Fatima University of Science and Technology Bill 2025 provides for the establishment of the aforementioned university in Multan.
Earlier in the Senate question hour, Finance State Minister Bilal Kayani said, the government is focusing on broadening the tax base.
Commerce Minister Jam Kamal said the government has established the Trade Dispute Resolution Commission to provide an efficient and transparent mechanism for resolving trade disputes.
The House has been prorogued.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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