ISLAMABAD (ENNS/MD) Lower House of Pakistan, the National Assembly here on Tuesday lent its approval to three bills formalising the tenure of the three services chiefs incliding chief of the army staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Prime Minister Imran Khan made a rare appearance in the Lower House as the assembly voted on three bills that will formalise the tenures of the army, navy and air force chiefs.
Before the start of voting, Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak took the floor to request the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) that it take back amendments it had suggested to the bills, saying he was making the request “keeping in mind the regional and national situation”.
Naveed Qamar, who spoke on behalf of the PPP in response to Khattak’s request, noted that the amendments had been suggested to improve the bills but, after being approached by a government delegation and consulting with the rest of the opposition, the party had decided to withdraw them.
Voting commenced shortly thereafter, with Speaker Asad Qaiser asking legislators to express their assent or dissent with ‘Ayes’ and ‘Nays’. The bills were voted on clause by clause.
Some opposition lawmakers, including MNAs from the Jamaat-e-Islami, the Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl and representatives from erstwhile Fata walked out in protest over the bills.
They had earlier announced they would not be supporting the bills on principles.
All the major parties had, however, lent near unquestioning assent to them.
After voting on the bills concluded, the National Assembly session was adjourned till 4pm on Wednesday.
