Pakistan parliament approves bill to extend military chiefs’ terms to five years

Pakistan’s parliament approved an amendment on Monday extending the tenure of armed forces chiefs including the army chief from three to five years, a move opposed by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party.

The amendment, part of the Pakistan Army Act of 1952 was moved by Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and passed in a session amid protests from Khan’s party members.

The term extension which applies to Army Chief General Asim Munir, who has served for two years is seen as potentially consolidating the government’s ties with the military, a powerful institution Khan’s party accuses of orchestrating his political downfall. The amendment, backed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coalition further marginalizes Khan’s faction as the government seeks to strengthen its alliance with military leaders.

To become law, the bill must also receive the support of the senate upper house, which also has a majority from parties opposed to Khan.

The former prime minister, who has been in jail since August last year, has been at odds with generals he blames for his 2022 ouster, after he fell out with then-army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa.

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Khan’s party backed candidates who won the most seats in February’s election but fell short of a majority, paving the way for his opponents to form a government. Khan’s supporters have since been agitating in parliament and on the streets, alleging that the election was rigged to keep them out of power, which the army and the election commission deny.

With inputs from agencies.