Islamabad: Pakistan's Senate, the upper house of parliament, gave a nod to the controversial 27th Constitutional Amendment this week to create a new post of Chief of Defense Forces and set up a constitutional court.
The government and its coalition partners secured a two-thirds majority of 64 in the vote after it received the support of two opposition members. Under the amendment bill, the President will appoint the Army Chief and the Chief of Defence Force on the advice of the Prime Minister. It also proposes that the post of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee will expire on November 27, 2025.
The Chief of Army Staff, who will also be the Chief of Defense Forces, will appoint the head of the National Strategic Command in consultation with the Prime Minister, and the head of the National Strategic Command will be from the Pakistan Army.
The bill also proposes to set up a Federal Constitutional Court to deal with matters related to the constitution, while the existing Supreme Court would deal only with traditional civil and criminal cases.
