Pakistan government defends bills extending tenure of armed services chiefs

Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif is addressing a session of National Assembly of Pakistan in Islamabad, Pakistan, on November 4, 2024. (National Assembly of Pakistan/File)
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Updated 05 November 2024
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Pakistan government defends bills extending tenure of armed services chiefs

  • Parliament has approved bills to extend tenure of army, navy, and air force chiefs from 3 to 5 years
  • Opposition fears extending tenure will consolidate the hold of already all-powerful army chief

ISLAMABAD: Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has defended the passage this week by Pakistan’s parliament of bills that extend the tenures of the army, navy and air force chiefs, saying the move would check against services chiefs granting themselves extensions and “formalize” the duration of their service.

The bills, approved by Pakistan’s National Assembly and Senate on Monday, have been pushed by the coalition government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif which argues that they are aimed at building continuity and avoiding some of the political turmoil that usually surrounds the appointment of the army chief every three years. The bills also extend the tenure of the heads of the navy and air force, though those positions hold less influence in Pakistan.

The office of the army chief is considered to be the most powerful in the country, with the army having ruled Pakistan for almost half of its 75-year -long history. Even when not directly in power, the army is considered to be the invisible guiding hand in politics and holds considerable sway in internal security, foreign policy, and economic affairs, among other domains. Several army chiefs in the past have been given extensions in service.

“What we did [passage of bills], these extensions [in army chief’s term] started from Ayub Khan’s time,” Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said, referring to a Pakistani general who carried out a military coup in 1958 and ruled until 1969.

“That thing has been formalized now, and we have increased the tenure. You pick up the rest of the institutions. [...] the National Assembly [term] is also for five years.”

“Now the trend of extensions, how it was in the past that people gave an extension to themselves [will be ended],” Asif added, referring to now retired Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, who served as army chief from 2016-22 after getting a three-year extension.

Speaking to a Pakistani news channel, Information Minister Ataullah Tarar also said the uncertainty surrounding the army chief’s appointment had been addressed through the new legislation.

“The five-year tenure [of the services chiefs] will not affect the institution’s merit-based system … The amendments are not introduced suddenly, instead the consultation on them was underway, and this legislation is not done for any individual.”

OPPOSITION STANCE

As the bills were passed on Monday in the National Assembly, opposition lawmakers from the PTI party of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan chanted against the measure. Some of them tore up copies of the bills and threw them at Speaker Ayaz Sadiq for not allowing debate. A similar protest by lawmakers from Khan’s party took place when the bill was quickly passed by the Senate, where Sharif’s party also holds a majority. The bill will now go to the president for his approval.

Omar Ayub Khan, a top leader of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, told reporters after the bill passed that the legislation “is neither good for country nor for the armed forces.”

The PTI is widely believed to be against an extension in service particularly for incumbent Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir, who it considers to be behind the ouster of Khan from the PM’s office in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence in 2022. The PTI also says the army is behind legal cases against Khan that have kept him in prison since August last year. The military denies any interference in politics.

The passage of the new bills follows controversial amendments made to the constitution last month, granting lawmakers the authority to nominate the chief justice of Pakistan, who previously used to be automatically appointed according to the principle of seniority.

The amendments allowed the government to bypass the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, and appoint Justice Yahya Afridi as the country’s top judge.

The opposition and the legal fraternity had opposed the amendments, arguing that they were aimed at granting more power to the executive in making judicial appointments and curtailing the independence of the judiciary. The government denies this.


UN estimates 2.5 million refugees will need resettling in 2026 from Pakistan, other countries

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UN estimates 2.5 million refugees will need resettling in 2026 from Pakistan, other countries

  • The largest refugee populations likely to be resettled were Afghans, Syrians, South Sudanese, Rohingya from Myanmar, and Congolese
  • Part of the decline in resettlement is linked to the US, long the world’s biggest resettler of refugees, which has now shut its doors

GENEVA: An estimated 2.5 million refugees worldwide will need to be resettled next year, the UN said Tuesday, at a time when the United States but also other nations are shrinking resettlement access.

UNHCR, the United Nations’ refugee agency, said the needs were down slightly from this year, when around 2.9 million refugees are estimated to need resettlement.

“This is mainly due to the changed situation in Syria, which has allowed for voluntary returns,” UNHCR spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo told reporters in Geneva.

“We are seeing some people pull out of resettlement processes in favor of plans to go home to rebuild,” she added.

Mantoo said that in 2026, the largest refugee populations likely to need to be resettled were Afghans, Syrians, South Sudanese, Rohingya from Myanmar, and Congolese.

Most of the refugees will need resettling from major host countries including Iran, Turkiye, Pakistan, Ethiopia and Uganda, she said.

The announcement came as the UNHCR’s resettlement efforts face towering hurdles.

“In 2025... resettlement quotas are expected to be the lowest in two decades, falling below the levels seen even during the Covid-19 pandemic, when many countries paused their programs,” Mantoo said.

Part of the decline is linked to the United States — long the world’s biggest resettler of refugees — which has now slammed its doors shut.

Shortly after returning to the White House in January, President Donald Trump halted the US refugee resettlement program.

Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden had embraced the program designed to facilitate legal resettlement of vetted refugees, resettling over 100,000 refugees in the United States last year.

Mantoo stressed though that the problem was not with just one country.

“We have indications that a number of countries are reducing or adjusting quotas,” she said.

Stressing that resettlement among other things “offers a concrete alternative to dangerous journeys,” Mantoo urged countries to “sustain their programs and increase their intake.”

In recognition that the needs far outstrip the available spots, she said that the international community had set itself a goal of resettling 120,000 refugees in 2026.

“Recent history shows that this is achievable,” she said.

Last year, she said that despite the challenges, the UNHCR supported the resettlement of 116,000 refugees globally.

“Every place is invaluable for those fleeing danger.”

Earlier this month UNHCR said a record 123.2 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced from their homes at the end of 2024.

But that figure dropped to 122.1 million by the end of April this year, as Syrians began returning home after years of turmoil.


PM hosts Pakistani delegates for successfully presenting Islamabad’s case on India crisis

Updated 10 min 47 sec ago
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PM hosts Pakistani delegates for successfully presenting Islamabad’s case on India crisis

  • Pakistan, India engaged in a military conflict last month that saw the neighbors attack each other with drones, missiles and artillery
  • Pakistani delegates this month visited key capitals to apprise them of India’s unilateral moves, including suspension of key water treaty

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday hosted a dinner in honor of a Pakistani delegation, led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, that presented Islamabad’s stance on recent crisis with India before key world capitals.

Pakistan and India engaged in a four-day military conflict last month that saw the two neighbors attack each other with drones, missiles and artillery in their worst fighting in decades.

The conflict had raised fears of a full-blown war between the nuclear-armed neighbors who agreed to a United States-brokered ceasefire on May 10, with the conflict killing nearly 70 people on both sides.

Bhutto-Zardari led Pakistan’s mission to the US, United Kingdom and Europe to apprise the world powers of Indian unilateral actions, including the suspension of a World Bank-brokered water-sharing treaty with Pakistan.

“The delegation presented the events from Pahalgam to the Indus Waters Treaty [suspension] in the right perspective and in a good manner,” Sharif said. “I hope that with the guidance, cooperation and suggestions of all of you, we will overcome all internal and external challenges.”

Other members of the Pakistani delegation included Sherry Rehman, Musadik Malik, Hina Rabbani Khar, Bushra Anjum Butt, Faisal Sabzwari, Khurram Dastgir and Jalil Abbas Jilani.

On Monday, Bhutto-Zardari said Islamabad had defeated New Delhi on the “battlefield, in diplomacy, and in the war of narratives.”

“India has two options: share water fairly or we will deliver water to us from all six rivers [of the Indus basin],” Bhutto-Zardari said, while addressing the lower house of Pakistan parliament.

“The attack on Sindhu [Indus river] and India’s claim that the IWT has ended and it’s in abeyance, firstly, this is illegal, as the IWT is not in abeyance, it is binding on Pakistan and India but the threat itself of stopping water is illegal according to the UN charter.”

His comments followed a statement from Indian interior minister Amit Shah in which he said they would take the water that was flowing to Pakistan to the Indian state of Rajasthan by constructing a canal.

“Pakistan will be starved of water that it has been getting unjustifiably,” Shah told Times of India newspaper.

The IWT grants Pakistan rights to the Indus basin’s western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — for irrigation, drinking, and non-consumptive uses like hydropower, while India controls the eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej — for unrestricted use but must not significantly alter their flow. India can use the western rivers for limited purposes such as power generation and irrigation, without storing or diverting large volumes, according to the agreement.

Islamabad is also exploring a legal challenge to India’s decision to hold the treaty in abeyance under international law.

Last month’s conflict between Pakistan and India was triggered by a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam town.

India accused Pakistan of backing the assault that killed 26 tourists on April 22 and suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, which ensures water for 80 percent of Pakistani farms, among a slew of punitive measures.

Islamabad denied the allegation and offered to join a credible, international probe into the Kashmir attack, followed by its own set of diplomatic measures against New Delhi.


Pakistan PM discusses Middle East crisis with Saudi Crown Prince, calls for de-escalation

Updated 24 June 2025
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Pakistan PM discusses Middle East crisis with Saudi Crown Prince, calls for de-escalation

  • Heightened tensions after Iranian missile attack on US base in Qatar spark fears of wider Gulf conflict
  • Sharif also holds third call with Iranian president in as many days, urges diplomacy to restore peace

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday spoke by phone with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss the situation in the Middle East amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel.

The call followed Israeli and United States strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory missile attack on a US base in Qatar on Tuesday. Qatar condemned the Iranian strikes as a “flagrant violation” of its sovereignty, raising fears the crisis could draw in other regional powers if not defused.

During the call, Sharif said Pakistan supported immediate de-escalation of the Iran-Israel conflict and its peaceful resolution through dialogue and diplomacy.

“While referring to last night’s attacks, he called for adherence to international law and the UN Charter principles by all sides,” Sharif’s office said after the telephone discussion with the Saudi Crown Prince. “In this context, the Prime Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering support for the Kingdom’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Sharif also praised the Saudi crown prince’s efforts to restore calm, describing them as reflective of the kingdom’s leadership role in the Muslim world and its position as a peacemaker, according to his office.

The crown prince, for his part, appreciated Pakistan’s show of solidarity and acknowledged Islamabad’s constructive role in supporting a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

“His Royal Highness said that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was fully committed to efforts aimed at fostering lasting peace and stability in the Middle East,” Sharif’s office said.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump said Israel and Iran had agreed to a “complete and total ceasefire” to be phased in over 24 hours. However, Israel warned of possible missile launches from Iran early Tuesday, and the launches began after 4am local time in Tehran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran would halt its attacks if Israel ended its airstrikes.

It was unclear how the latest developments would affect the planned ceasefire.

Separately on Tuesday, Sharif held a third phone call in as many days with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and again urged dialogue and diplomacy to restore peace in the region.

The crisis has left Islamabad navigating a delicate balance between ties with Iran, other Gulf partners and the United States, which remains one of Pakistan’s largest trading partners and a major source of military and economic assistance.

“The prime minister said that Pakistan was closely following the rapidly evolving situation in the Middle East,” Sharif’s office said after the call with Pezeshkian. “He reiterated Pakistan’s support for Iran at all diplomatic forums, including at the UN Security Council and the OIC [Organization of Islamic Cooperation], while calling for adherence to international law and the UN Charter principles.”


Army major among two soldiers, 11 militants killed in Pakistan’s restive northwest

Updated 24 June 2025
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Army major among two soldiers, 11 militants killed in Pakistan’s restive northwest

  • The casualties occurred during an intelligence-based operation in South Waziristan district, which borders Afghanistan
  • Pakistan and India often accuse each other of backing militant groups that launch cross-border attacks on the other’s soil

ISLAMABAD: Two Pakistani soldiers, including an army major, and 11 militants were killed in a shootout in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the Pakistani military said on Tuesday.

The operation was conducted in KP’s South Waziristan district, which borders Afghanistan, on intelligence reports about the presence of “Indian-sponsored” militants, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.

The intense exchange of fire killed 11 militants and injured seven others. The shootout also left two Pakistani soldiers, Major Moiz Abbas Shah and Lance Naik Jibran Ullah, dead.

“Sanitization operation is being conducted to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored kharji [militant] found in the area,” the ISPR said in a statement.
Pakistan and India often blame each other for supporting militancy.

Islamabad accuses India of backing a separatist insurgency in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province as well as religiously motivated militant groups, like the Pakistani Taliban, in KP. India denies the allegations.

Pakistan has struggled to contain a surge in militancy in KP since a fragile truce between the Pakistani Taliban, or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and Islamabad broke down in late 2022. The TTP and other militant groups have frequently targeted security forces convoys and check-posts, besides targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials in the region in recent months.

In a statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to Major Shah and Lance Naik Jibran Ullah for thwarting the evil designs of the enemy.

“We will continue the fight against the scourge of terrorism until it is completely eradicated from the country,” he said. “The entire nation, including me, stands by our Pakistani forces in their unwavering resolve to protect the homeland.”


In call with Iran president, Pakistan PM urges dialogue to restore peace in Middle East

Updated 24 June 2025
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In call with Iran president, Pakistan PM urges dialogue to restore peace in Middle East

  • The development came a day after Tehran attacked a US base in Qatar in retaliation for airstrikes on its nuclear facilities
  • The crisis appeared to put Islamabad in a difficult position to balance its equation with Iran, other Gulf partners, and the US

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian for the third time in as many days and urged dialogue and diplomacy to restore peace in the Middle East, Sharif’s office said.

The development came a day after Tehran attacked a United States (US) base in Qatar in retaliation for US airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities late last week. The US strikes followed days of Israeli attacks on Iran’s nuclear program and military leadership.

Qatar condemned the Iranian missile attack and called it a “flagrant violation” of its sovereignty, saying it reserved the right to respond directly and in accordance with the international law. The Iranian attack raised fears about a wider conflict in the already volatile region.

The crisis appeared to put Islamabad in a difficult position to balance its equation with Iran, other Gulf partners, and the US, which remains one of Pakistan’s largest trading partners and a critical source of military and economic assistance.

“The prime minister said that Pakistan was closely following the rapidly evolving situation in the Middle East. He emphasized the importance of restoring peace through dialogue and diplomacy,” Sharif’s office said after his telephonic conversation with the Iranian president.

“He reiterated Pakistan’s support for Iran at all diplomatic forums, including at the UN Security Council and the OIC [Organization of Islamic Cooperation], while calling for adherence to international law and the UN Charter principles, by all sides.”

The development came hours after US President Donald Trump said that Israel and Iran had agreed to a “complete and total ceasefire” to be phased in over 24 hours.

But Israel warned its public to take shelter after detecting missile launches from Iran early Tuesday. The launches came after 4am local time in Tehran, the time Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran would stop its attacks if Israel ended their airstrikes.

It was unclear yet how the latest developments would impact the possible ceasefire agreement.

President Pezeshkian appreciated Pakistan’s consistent and principled support to Iran throughout the crisis, according to Sharif’s office.

“He also acknowledged Pakistan’s constructive role in promoting a peaceful resolution to the conflict,” it said. “The two leaders agreed on the importance of unity among the Ummah during this most challenging time. They agreed to remain in touch.”