ISLAMABAD: Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar clarified that the Army Chief is a constitutional post with a five-year tenure, while Field Marshal is a title.
He said the federal government has drafted the 27th Constitutional Amendment to abolish the “Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee” (CJCSC) position and introduce a new post, “Chief of Defence Forces.” The Army Chief will hold this new title.
The amendment proposes changes to Article 243, stating that the federal government controls the armed forces and the President holds their supreme command.
It also grants Field Marshal and other senior military officers lifetime protection of their ranks. Tarar emphasized that the Field Marshal title will receive constitutional recognition.
Earlier today, the federal cabinet on Saturday approved the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment after reviewing suggestions from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), sources said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired the meeting via video link from Baku, Azerbaijan. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan briefed the cabinet on the amendment’s details.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and Information Minister Atta Tarar attended the session.
Sources said the amendment draft would be presented in the Senate later in the day following cabinet approval. The meeting, initially set for Friday, was delayed due to political disagreements.
