Pakistan parliament approves bill to extend army chief

5/11/2024 6:14

        Pakistan's parliament on
        Monday backed an amendment to a law that would extend the terms
        of the heads of the armed forces, including the army chief, to
        five years from three, despite criticism from jailed ex-Prime
        Minister Imran Khan's party.
        
        Extending the term of top commanders including Army Chief
        General Asim Munir, who took office two years ago, would deal
        another blow to the embattled Khan and his party, which blames
        the military for his downfall.
        
        The measure from the government of Prime Minister
        Shehbaz Sharif, who leads a coalition of parties opposed to Khan
        that took power after an election in February, could be aimed at
        shoring up support from powerful military figures.
        
        The bill to amend the Pakistan Army Act of 1952 was moved by
        Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif. House Speaker Ayaz Sadiq
        announced in a live telecast of the parliamentary proceedings
        that the bill had passed. Khan's party's lawmakers opposed the
        bill in the noisy session.
        
        To become law, the bill must also receive the support of the
        senate upper house, which also has a majority from parties
        opposed to Khan.
        
        The former prime minister, who has been in jail since August
        last year, has been at odds with generals he blames for his 2022
        ouster, after he fell out with then-army chief Qamar Javed
        Bajwa.
        
        Khan's party backed candidates who won the most seats in
        February's election but fell short of a majority, paving the way
        for his opponents to form a government. Khan's supporters have
        since been agitating in parliament and on the streets, alleging
        that the election was rigged to keep them out of power, which
        the army and the election commission deny.