Legislation needing simple majority: legal team

The legal team of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on Wednesday interpreting the order of the Supreme Court said that extension in the tenure of Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa would start on November 29, 2019 and it would have to be legalized by the Parliament through a legislation within six months.

The period of extension in tenure would be decided after amending the Rule 255 of the Army Regulation by the Parliament with a simple majority, they said while addressing here a press conference.

The legal team comprises Attorney General Anwar Mansoor Khan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Accountability Mirza Shehzad Ali Akbar and former law minister Barrister Farogh Naseem. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan was also present at the press conference.

Farogh Naseem urged the media to play a constructive role instead of spreading fake news vis-a-vis General Bajwa's extension and not let the enemy do propaganda on the issue.

He said media aired fake news regarding revocation of his license by Pakistan Bar Council (PBC). "Media should avoid airing such news without confirmation as Indian media took full advantage of it and aired news with different angles," he pointed out.

Farogh said that a law will be passed regarding the tenure of the army chief. He said the COAS Bajwa's new term will begin at 12:00 midnight.

The Supreme Court had delicately handled the case and guided the government to legalize the re-appointment of the COAS, he added.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said that the verdict of Supreme Court on the petition challenging the extension of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa is the victory of democracy and it would help strengthen institutions. She said the judgment has provided an opportunity to rectify the lacunae in the existing laws and remove them with a necessary legislation.

She said the petition challenging the extension of the COAS must not be linked with any particular personality. The dream of country's detractors sitting abroad has been shattered with the judgment, she said.

She said "another three-year" tenure of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) would start from late Thursday night.

To a question, she said the re-induction of former minister for law and justice Dr Farogh Naseem into the federal cabinet is the prerogative of Prime Minister.

Anwar Mansoor and Shehzad Akbar also spoke on the occasion and explained the salient features of the apex court's verdict. They also explained how the government complied with the legal formalities.

Anwar Mansoor Khan termed the Supreme Court's verdict a historic ruling. Neither had the Army Act been challenged to date nor did it come under discussion as an extension in an army chief's tenure was previously granted in a traditional manner, due to which this law was never paid any heed, he said.

The AGP said the top court dug deeper into the law and provided guidance for the first time as many things came to the fore which had never been discussed or the subject of a court ruling before.

Khan said Article 243, which governs an army chief's appointment and Article 255, which provides for the rank of an army chief, were discussed separately in the SC. He added the top court said Article 255 should not have been invoked while granting Gen Bajwa extension.