- The President signs bills on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz.
- All three bills were passed by parliament this week.
- COAS will simultaneously act as CDF.
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday signed into law the Pakistan Army, Air Force and Navy Amendment Bills 2025 following their approval by Parliament.
According to notifications shared by the PPP on social media platform
The bills, tabled by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, were passed by the lower and upper houses of parliament (the National Assembly and the Senate) this week.
What are the key changes?
According to the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, the COAS will simultaneously serve as Chief of Defense Forces for five years. Field Marshal Munir’s tenure will restart from the date the new notification is issued.
The provisions of article 243 applicable to a Field Marshal will also apply to a General promoted to the rank. The federal government may authorize the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army or the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army to exercise powers of the COAS, through written orders issued on the recommendation of the CDF.
The legislation further clarifies that once the first notification for dual office is issued, the tenure of the incumbent COAS will be deemed to have restarted from the date of that notification.
The federal government will determine the duties and responsibilities of the CDF, including multi-domain integration, restructuring and ensuring unity among the armed forces.
An important structural change approved in the bill is the abolition of the position of chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), which will be replaced by the commander of the National Strategic Command. The Prime Minister may appoint the Commander from serving generals of the Pakistan Army for a period of three years, on the recommendation of the COAS/CDF.
The terms and conditions of the appointment will be set by the prime minister, who may also grant a three-year extension in the interest of national security. The bill provides that any appointment, re-election or extension of the Commander will not be challenged in any court.
The Pakistan Air Force (Amendment) Bill, 2025 deletes sections 10D, 10E and 10F of the Pakistan Air Force Act 1953, which earlier dealt with appointment of PAF chief as CJCSC, his tenure, extension and retirement.
All references to the CJCSC have been omitted throughout the law. Similarly, the Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bill, 2025 removes sections 14D, 14E and 14F relating to the appointment and tenure of the Naval Chief as CJCSC, and also removes the term from other provisions of the law..
