Senate to vote on services acts amendment bills today

The Senate will take up the issue of three bills pertaining to the tenure of the three services chiefs today.

After the National Assembly and the Senate Standing Committee on Defence gave the go ahead to the three bills.

The bills are Pakistan Army (Amendment) bill, 2020, Pakistan Air Force (Amendment) bill, 2020 and Pakistan Navy (Amendment) bill, 2020.

On Tuesday, the NA gave its approval to the three bills formalizing the length of tenure of the three services chiefs.

All the major parties lent their near unquestioning assent to them.

However, 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 principle.

The bills will become law once Senate forwards them to the president and he signs off on them.

Yesterday, the house passed bill regarding amendments to Pakistan Air Force Act 1953 and Pakistan Navy Ordinance 1961.

The session of the NA held with Speaker Asad Qaiser in the National Assembly.

Prime Minister Imran Khan also attended the session.

The bill supported by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the main Opposition Parties Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).