ISLAMABAD: August 20: The National Assembly and Senate on Thursday passed two key pieces of defence legislation — the Defence Forces of Pakistan Act, 2026 and the National Command Authority (Amendment) Act, 2026 — to give legal effect to the country’s revised military command structure, strengthen tri-services integration and align the national strategic command framework with constitutional changes introduced through the 27th Amendment.
The National Assembly passed the bills amid an opposition walkout from the House, with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) — an ally of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) — objecting to the manner in which the legislation was presented.
PTI, JUI-F and MWM also walked out of the Senate in protest against the two bills.
PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari raised objections to the way in which the bills were presented; however, the party lawmakers later voted in favour of the bills.
The bills were not on the National Assembly’s agenda for today (Thursday), as supplementary agendas were presented in the House for their passage. Both houses of Parliament — the National Assembly and the Senate — passed the two bills on the same day after the federal cabinet, chaired by the prime minister, approved the legislation.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif presented the two bills in the Lower House of Parliament for passage. The House passed the bills with a majority.
The National Command Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2026, brings the country’s strategic command framework in line with the constitutional changes introduced through the 27th Amendment and replaces references to the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee with the Chief of the Army Staff concurrently serving as the Chief of the Defence Forces.
According to the National Command Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2026, the legislation seeks to make consequential amendments to the National Command Authority Act, 2010, following the changes made through the Constitutional (27th Amendment) Act, 2025.
The amendment Act will come into force immediately but will be deemed to have taken effect from November 27, 2025.
Under the principal amendment, the expression “Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee” will be substituted throughout the National Command Authority Act, 2010, with “Chief of the Army Staff, concurrently the Chief of the Defence Forces.”
The change effectively updates the statutory framework governing the National Command Authority to reflect the revised constitutional structure of Pakistan’s military command.
The bill also amends Section 3 of the 2010 Act concerning the composition of the National Command Authority.
It removes clause (f) of subsection (4), renumbers the subsequent clauses, and makes related textual changes before adding a new clause identifying the Commander of the National Strategic Command as a member of the authority.
The amendment therefore formally incorporates the Commander of the National Strategic Command into the statutory composition of the National Command Authority.
According to the Statement of Objects and Reasons, the amendments are intended to ensure consistency between the National Command Authority Act, 2010, and the Constitutional (27th Amendment) Act, 2025, as well as to make consequential changes required by the constitutional amendments.
The government has stated that the legislation has been prepared specifically for this purpose and is designed to align the existing national strategic command law with the revised constitutional and military command structure.
The Act will be deemed effective from November 27, 2025, despite coming into force upon enactment.
The Defence Forces of Pakistan Act, 2026, aims to institutionalise greater integration and jointness among Pakistan’s armed forces by establishing a unified Defence Forces Headquarters under the Chief of the Defence Forces, who will exercise operational command and serve as the principal military adviser to the prime minister on defence and national security matters.
The legislation seeks to give effect to the constitutional mandate under Article 243 and create a formal framework for “multidomain integration, restructuring and optimum jointness” of the Army, Air Force and Navy.
Under the bill, the Defence Forces Headquarters will serve as the headquarters of the Armed Forces and function under the command and authority of the Chief of the Defence Forces. The officeholder will have operational command and control of the Armed Forces and will be responsible to the federal government for matters relating to that command and control.
The bill also empowers the Chief of the Defence Forces to oversee matters having joint, tri-services and strategic implications, with the stated objective of improving operational cohesion, coordination and integration across the services.
The legislation provides that the Chief of the Defence Forces may exercise certain powers relating to the retirement, release, resignation, discharge and retention of personnel serving under laws governing the Armed Forces, subject to the exceptions specified in the bill.
The federal government has been empowered to frame rules and regulations to implement the Act, while the Chief of the Defence Forces may issue instructions and orders for carrying out its provisions.
Significantly, the Act contains an overriding provision under which its provisions, along with rules, regulations, instructions and orders made under it, will prevail over conflicting provisions in other laws. It specifically states that the Pakistan Army Act, 1952, Pakistan Air Force Act, 1953, Pakistan Navy Ordinance, 1967, Cantonments Act, 1924, and other laws relating to members of the Armed Forces will not be construed in a manner inconsistent with the new law.
The Act has been given retrospective effect from November 13, 2025, the date specified in the legislation. Existing rules, regulations, instructions, notifications, orders and actions taken before its commencement will remain valid to the extent that they are not inconsistent with the new law.
The Statement of Objects and Reasons accompanying the bill says the legislation is intended to institutionalise lessons from Pakistan’s recent military operations, particularly what it describes as enhanced coordination among the three services and the use of network-centric and multidomain capabilities.
The statement describes Pakistan’s response to what it terms Indian aggression as an example of “integrated tri-services jointness”, citing real-time situational awareness, network-centric warfare and coordinated operations across land, sea and cyber domains.
It also highlights the continuation of counter-terrorism operations in the western region alongside Operation Bunyan-ul-Marsoos, presenting the simultaneous conduct of these operations as evidence of the need for greater integration across the Armed Forces.
According to the government’s stated rationale, the experience demonstrated the importance of closer coordination among the services and other elements of national power in responding to threats to Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The bill therefore seeks to translate that operational experience into a permanent institutional structure by placing the Defence Forces Headquarters at the centre of joint military coordination and giving the Chief of the Defence Forces a defined role in strategic, operational and tri-services matters.
The legislation will come into force immediately and is deemed to have taken effect from November 13, 2025.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026