Move deals another blow to embattled jailed ex-PM Imran Khan

5/11/2024 6:13

        Pakistan on Monday passed
        an amendment to a law that will extend the terms of the heads of
        the armed forces to five years from three, in a rowdy
        parliamentary session opposed by jailed ex-Prime Minister Imran
        Khan's party.
        
        Extending the term of commanders including Army Chief
        General Asim Munir 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 proceedings that the bill
        had passed.
        
        The amendment had the support of the senate upper house,
        which also has a majority from parties opposed to Khan, in a
        vote telecast live by local TV news channels.
        
        Geo TV reported that it took 16 minutes for the senate
        to pass the amendment into law, which Khan's party lawmaker Omar
        Ayub termed as bulldozing the legislation by the ruling alliance
        without any debate in either house.
        
        "It is neither good for the country nor for the armed
        forces," Ayub said.
        
        Khan's party's lawmakers opposed the bill during the
        sessions and some tore apart copies of it.
        
        "There is no harm if the tenure of any services chief is
        extended to five years like we have a five-year term for a
        government," Information Minister Attaullah Tarar told Geo New
        TV. "It will help bring stability and continuity of policies
        within institutions."
        
        The service tenure will start from the day of the
        appointment of the chiefs, Asif, the defence minister, told Geo
        TV.
        
        Under the new law, General Munir, who took office in
        November 2022 with a timeline to retire in 2025, will serve
        until 2027 irrespective of a retirement age of 64 for a general.
        
        
        
        The former prime minister, who has been in jail since August
        last year, has been at odds with generals he blames for his 2022
        ousting, 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, clearing 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.
        
        They say the ruling alliance does not enjoy legitimacy, an
        accusation the government denies.