The laws of the Army, Air Force and Navy are modified to create the Chief of the Defense Forces and new higher ranks
The National Assembly passed amendments to the Pakistan Army Act 1952, the Pakistan Air Force Act 1953 and the Pakistan Navy Ordinance 1961, with a majority vote to harmonize the laws governing the armed forces with the 27th Constitutional Amendment.
In the session, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif presented the amendment bills, which were approved by the House after voting. Lawmakers also passed the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure (Amendment) Bill during the same session.
Explaining the amendments, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the legislative changes were introduced to harmonize the existing laws with the new constitutional framework.
He specified that the Chief of the Defense Forces (CDF) will serve a five-year term from the date of his appointment, while certain adjustments have been made to the structures of the Air Force and the Navy. He added that amendments had also been approved regarding appointments to the newly created Constitutional Court, with the President of the Supreme Court being the first to be appointed.
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The Law Minister further said that in future, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) will also act as the Chief of Defense Forces. Tarar said Article 243 of the Constitution had also been amended to formally recognize the rank of field marshal. He confirmed that the Ministry of Defense submitted three summaries, which were approved by the cabinet.
Later, Khawaja Asif introduced Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill 2025, Pakistan Air Force (Amendment) Bill 2025 and Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bill 2025, all of which were passed by the House.
Hours earlier, the federal cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, approved a series of legislative amendments to align national laws with the 27th Constitutional Amendment.
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The meeting, held in Parliament, also approved the creation of the CDF post and the abolition of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee following the retirement of the incumbent.
The revised legislation introduces three new honorary military ranks (Field Marshal, Air Force Marshal and Fleet Admiral) to reflect modern military structures and contemporary defense needs.
The cabinet also approved the draft Federal Constitutional Court (Procedure and Practice) Act, 2025, which establishes a Constitutional Court under the 27th Amendment, and ratified the decisions of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) meeting held on November 7.
Read more: Constitution amended for the 27th time
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the amendments were part of the legislative process following the constitutional change. “A new position has been created under the amendment and corresponding ranks have also been established for the Navy and Air Force,” he said.
Asif noted that the constitutional amendment had already become part of the law and that the new measures were necessary to give it full legal effect. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said it was essential to make corresponding changes in relevant laws after the constitutional amendment.
Bill against domestic violence approved
The House also passed the Domestic Violence Prevention and Protection Bill, introduced by MP Sharmila Faruqi, despite opposition from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) members.
MNA Naeema Kishwar asked for more time to review the draft and said, “Give us two days so that we can bring amendments. We reject the bill related to domestic violence.” MNA Aliya Kamran questioned the urgency of suspending the rules for tabling the bills and asked, “What was the urgency that led you to suspend the rules for tabling these bills?”
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The Speaker clarified that the rules were suspended because the session was about to adjourn.
Aliya also objected that her party had no representation on the Interior Ministry committee, arguing that some clauses in the bill conflicted with Islamic principles. MNA Shahida Akhtar Ali added: “This bill contradicts Article 227; it is a very sensitive issue. Please do not proceed with it; this is against our Islamic identity.”
After the debate, the session of the National Assembly was suspended until 11 a.m. on Friday.
