The Senate and National Assembly sessions, which had been scheduled for today, are postponed till Monday at 03:00 PM and 04:00 PM respectively.
The Senate of Pakistan said in a tweet that the session will not be held as scheduled on Saturday, January 4 at 03:00 PM as it has been rescheduled for Monday, January 6 at 03:00 PM.
Speaker @NAofPakistan in exercise of powers conferred under rule 49 sub rule 2 of rules of procedure and conduct of business in NA 2007 has been pleased to change the schedule of the session to be held on 4 Jan at 11 am. #NASession will now held on Mon, 6th Jan 2020 at 4.00 pmIt is pertinent here to mention that a joint meeting of the Senate and NA standing committees on defence had Friday (yesterday) approved Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill 2020, Pakistan Air Force (Amendment) Bill 2020 and Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bill 2020.
The Senate and National Assembly sessions were scheduled on Saturday to get the three bills approved. Both houses will now take up the matter on Monday.
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A joint meeting of the Senate and National Assembly standing committees on defence Friday approved Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill 2020, Pakistan Air Force (Amendment) Bill 2020 and Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bill 2020.
Members of both standing committees were present in the session including Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Farogh Naseem, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, Senator Sherry Rehman and others.
Earlier today, Pervez Khattak tabled the three amendment bills during the NA session chaired by Speaker Asad Qaiser reviewing the Pakistan Army Act 1952, Pakistan Air Force Act 1953 and Pakistan Navy Act 1961. The NA proceedings were then adjourned till Saturday morning (11:00 AM).
Federal Minister for Defence Pervez Khattak on Friday tabled the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Act 2020 in the National Assembly, paving the way for a three-year extension to Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Khattak also presented the Pakistan Navy (Amendment Act) and the Pakistan Air Force (Amendment Act), separately.
The laws will fix 64 years as the maximum age limit of the three services chiefs — chief of army staff, chief of air staff and chief of naval staff — and the chairman of the joint chief of staff committee, with the prime minister having the prerogative to give an extension to any of them in future after completion of their normal tenure at the age of 60 years and the president having the power to give the final nod.
During the brief session, PML-N’s Khawaja Asif asked that the production orders of those leaders who are under detention be produced. The session was adjourned until 11am tomorrow (Saturday).
Speaking to reporters, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that PPP will support the legislation if it is done through the parliamentary rules and regulations.
He said that the bills will first be sent to the National Assembly Standing Committee on Defence and the matter will be discussed in the House, adding that PML-N had not taken PPP into confidence before supporting the legislation.
PTI Minister Fawad Chaudhry also said the bills would be reviewed by the committee and then debated during tomorrow’s session.
Leaders of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) have expressed confidence that the bill will be passed by the parliament with the required simple majority. The current sessions of the Senate and the National Assembly were convened on a 24-hour notice on Dec 31 – a move that took many by surprise.
