National Assembly passes bills related to military, National Command Authority

National Assembly passes bills related to military, National Command Authority.

Key points

• In the same session, the federal cabinet additionally approved amendments to the National Command Authority Act 2010.
• After the constitutional changes, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir became the country's first chief of defence forces.
• The draft and amended National Command Authority Act was subsequently brought before the National Assembly for consideration and was approved through a majority vote.
• The Commander of the National Strategic Command post was additionally created, a four-star office that oversees the operational integration of Pakistan's strategic forces.
• The cabinet approved the draft Defence Forces Act 2026.

Lawmakers endorse legislation aimed at aligning defence institutions with recent constitutional changes. Lawmakers approve both measures through majority voting. Federal cabinet has earlier approved the draft bills. Legislation follows changes under 27th constitutional amendment.

After their approval by the federal cabinet earlier, ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Thursday passed by majority vote the Defence Forces Act 2026, and the National Command Authority (Amendment) Bill.

Notably, the bills were approved by the cabinet during a session chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, where the administration endorsed draft legislation aimed at implementing legal and administrative changes arising from the 27th Constitutional Amendment.

In practice, the cabinet approved the draft Defence Forces Act 2026. It seeks to establish the necessary legal and administrative framework concerning the office of the Chief of Defence Forces and the Chief of Defence Forces Headquarters.

For context, the draft and amended National Command Authority Act was subsequently brought before the National Assembly for consideration and was approved through a majority vote.

In practice, the 27th Constitutional Amendment, passed by parliament in November last year, introduced significant changes to the country's defence and judicial architecture, necessitating amendments to relevant laws and institutional frameworks.

For context, the 27th Amendment, which was passed in November last year, brought changes to the judicial structure and military command, resulting in the abolition of the office of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and creating the new position of chief of defence forces.

Meanwhile, the Commander of the National Strategic Command post was additionally created, a four-star office that oversees the operational integration of Pakistan's strategic forces.

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For now, national Assembly passes bills related to military, National Command Authority remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.