By Asif Shahzad
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Pakistan’s parliament on Monday backed an amendment to a law that would extend the terms of the heads of the armed forces, including the army chief, to five years from three, despite criticism from jailed ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party.
Extending the term of top commanders including Army Chief General Asim Munir, who took office two years ago, would deal another blow to the embattled Khan and his party, which blames the military for his downfall.
The measure from the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who leads a coalition of parties opposed to Khan that took power after an election in February, could be aimed at shoring up support from powerful military figures.
The bill to amend the Pakistan Army Act of 1952 was moved by Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif. House Speaker Ayaz Sadiq announced in a live telecast of the parliamentary proceedings that the bill had passed. Khan’s party’s lawmakers opposed the bill in the noisy session.
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.
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.
(Reporting by Asif Shahzad; Editing by Peter Graff)
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