The Senate is expected to take up today (Wednesday) the three government bills that aim to "specify the tenure and the terms and conditions of service" of the three services chiefs and chairman joint chiefs of staff committee, which were passed by the National Assembly and Senate Standing Committee on Defense on Tuesday.

During the Senate session on Tuesday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Azam Swati, on behalf of Defense Minister Pervez Khattak, presented the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Act, 2020, Pakistan Air Force (Amendment) Act, 2020 and Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Act, 2020.

No mainstream political party opposed the bills. However, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), National Party (NP), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) opposed the three bills which were referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Defense by the Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani.

The committee, headed by Walid Iqbal from the ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), met to pass the three bills which would expectedly be taken up by the Senate for a vote today (Wednesday). The committee members who attended the in-camera meeting included Law Minister Farogh Naseem, Sherry Rehman from PPP, Sajjad Turi and Dilawar Khan. The defense minister also attended the committee's meeting as ex officio member, it is learnt.

Given that the mainstream opposition parties including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) are supporting the bills, they are expected to be smoothly passed by the Upper House of the Parliament.

The Pakistan Army (Amendment) Act, 2020, seeks to amend the provisions of the Pakistan Army Act, 1952, "so as to empower the President on the advice of the Prime Minister, to specify the tenure and the terms and conditions of service of the Chief of the Army Staff or the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, including the grant of extension to, and re-appointment of the Chief of the Army Staff or the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, and to provide for other related matters in light of the Honourable Supreme Court's judgment dated 28e November, 2019."

The Section 8B(1) of Pakistan Army (Amendment) Act, 2020, reads, "Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act or any other law for the time being in force, the President on the advice of the Prime Minister, may reappoint the Chief of the Army Staff for additional tenure of three (3) years or extend the tenure(s) of the Chief of the Army Staff up to three (03) years, on such terms and conditions, as may be determined by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister in the national security interest or exigencies, from time to time."

The Pakistan Air Force (Amendment) Act, 2020, seeks to amend Pakistan Air Force Act, 1953. Section 10E(1) of Pakistan Air Force (Amendment) Act, 2020, reads, "Reappointment of extension of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee- (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act or any other law for the time being in force, the President, on the advice of the prime Minister, may appoint the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee for additional tenure of three (03) years, or extend the tenure(s) of the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee up to three (03) years, on such terms and conditions, as may be determined by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister, in the national security interest or exigencies, from time to time."

The Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Act, 2020, seeks to amend Pakistan Navy Ordinance, 1961. Section 14E(1) of Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Act, 2020 reads, "Notwithstanding anything contained in this or any other law for the time being in force, the President, on the advice of the Prime Minister, may reappoint the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee for additional tenure of three (03) years, or extend the tenure(s) of the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee up to three (03) years, on such terms and conditions, as may be determined by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister, in the national security interest or exigencies, from time to time." The Senate is scheduled to meet today (Wednesday) at 3:00pm.