ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly of Pakistan passes the Army Act 2025 after the approval of the 27th amendment.
Now the designation of the Army Chief will be called the Chief of the Defence Forces.
A new notification about the appointment of the Army chief will be issued.
The Chief of the Defence Forces will be appointed for five years.
The tenure of the Commander National Strategic Command will be of three years.
The Chief of the Defence Staff will do the restructuring and the merging of all the departments of the Pakistan Army.
The Prime Minister will depute the Commander National Strategic Command on the suggestion of the Chief of the Defence Forces.
The Commander National Strategic Command would be reappointed for another three years’ tenure.
The upper house approved the bill clause by clause during a heated session chaired by Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani, who repeatedly called for order. The vote followed the National Assembly’s passage of the bill a day earlier with amendments.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar re-tabled the legislation in the Senate, saying the revised version incorporated necessary changes. The bill had already cleared the upper house earlier in the week but required another vote due to the new amendments.
Opposition questions voting process
PTI Senator Ali Zafar challenged the validity of holding a second vote, arguing that a constitutional amendment required support from at least 64 senators. He also objected to counting the vote of PTI Senator Saifullah Abro, who had backed the bill against his party’s position and later announced his resignation.
Zafar said Abro’s defection triggered Article 63-A of the Constitution, which disqualifies lawmakers for voting against party lines. “Counting his vote will raise serious questions over this entire process,” Zafar warned.
Chairman Gilani replied that Abro’s resignation would be addressed once formally received and expressed hope of persuading him to reconsider.
JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza accused the government of “buying support,” claiming that one of his party’s members had been influenced to vote for the amendment.
Tense scenes in National Assembly
A day earlier, the National Assembly had passed the same bill amid uproar. Opposition members tore papers and chanted slogans as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, former premier Nawaz Sharif, and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari attended the session. PTI lawmakers accused the government of undermining the Constitution.
At one point, ruling party MNAs formed a human shield around the prime minister as opposition members moved toward the treasury benches. Copies of the bill were thrown toward the front rows, while Tarar and Bhutto-Zardari struggled to deliver their speeches.
Despite the commotion, the bill passed with 234 votes in favor—well above the two-thirds majority needed.
What the amendment proposes
The 27th Amendment seeks to establish a Federal Constitutional Court and revise clauses related to the command of the armed forces. It also includes provisions concerning the office of the Chief Justice of Pakistan.
Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said the bill would not affect the 18th Amendment or fundamental rights, calling it a step toward fulfilling commitments made in the Charter of Democracy.
Opposition plans nationwide protest
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan condemned the government for “rushing” the legislation, warning that it threatened judicial independence. The Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan alliance announced plans for nationwide protests, describing the amendment as “a dark chapter in constitutional history.”
