NA session indefinitely adjourned after PTI’s protest

The National Assembly (NA) session was adjourned indefinitely on Tuesday following a ruckus by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led opposition.

The ruckus by the PTI comes after the NA and the Senate passed bills on Monday seeking extension of the terms of armed services chiefs and an increase in the number of Supreme Court judges.

As the session began today, Opposition Leader Omar Ayub Khan representing the PTI-led opposition, criticised the steamrolling of the bills, calling it a “shameful incident”.

Deputy Speaker Mir Ghulam Mustafa Shah intervened and ordered that the PTI MNA’s remarks be removed from the record.

Later, independent MNA Aurangzeb Khan Khichi, one of the PTI-backed lawmakers who voted in favour of the 26th Amendment against the party lines, took to the floor and responded to PTI’s allegations that he “took money” in return for his vote.

He clarified that he did not receive any bribe and criticised the PTI and said he won “90,000” votes compared to some 2,500 when PTI contested against him.’

Once Khichi started talking, the PTI lawmakers continued thumping their desks in protest.

Subsequently, the session was indefinitely adjourned.

On Monday, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif tabled the bill in the NA that aimed to extend the tenure of the Chief of the Army Staff, Chief of the Naval Staff, and Chief of the Air Staff from three to five years.

Despite repeated requests, the NA Speaker did not allow the opposition leaders in National Assembly Omar Ayub or PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan to speak on the bill and subsequently declared its passage with majority votes.

According to clause 4 of the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2024, “the retirement age and service limits prescribed for a general, under the rules and regulation made under this act, shall not be applicable to the chief of army staff, during his tenure of appointment, reappointment and/ or extension. Throughout such tenure, the chief of army staff shall continue to serve as a general in Pakistan Army.”

According to Pakistan Air Force (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bill, 2024, the procedure of appointment, retirement, service limits, and extension as described above for the army chief will be the same for naval and air force chiefs. These amendments will extend the tenure of the chief of army staff and heads of other military branches to five years, standardising service durations – from three to five years – across all branches.