Islamabad: Pakistan’s powerful army chief will be given an expanded role and the remit of its Supreme Court curbed under constitutional changes passed by one of the two houses of parliament on Monday, a move opposition says will undermine democracy.
Pakistan, historically coup-prone, is seeing its longest period of elected govt. But in recent years, after civilians have sought to assert more authority in governance, the military has taken tighter hold of the levers of power, while not staging a takeover. The bill, passed by the senate in about three hours, unusually quickly for a constitutional change, after the opposition boycotted the debate, will now go before the lower house to become law.
Army chief Asim Munir, described by US President Donald Trump as his “favourite Field Marshal”, would take overall command of the military - including air and naval forces - with the new position of chief of defence forces under the proposed constitutional amendment. After completion of his term, he would retain his rank and have legal immunity for life.
While the military has wielded extensive power, the reforms would give it greater constitutional backing that would not be easily rolled back. Hitherto the army chief was the equal of the air force and navy chiefs, with a chairman of the joint chiefs sitting above him, a post that would be eliminated.