National Assembly approves amendments to armed forces’ acts, judiciary laws
The approval came shortly after the federal cabinet endorsed the same set of reforms during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif presented the Pakistan Army Act (Amendment) Bill 2025, the Pakistan Air Force (Amendment) Bill 2025, and the Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bill 2025, all of which were passed with a majority vote. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar also introduced the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure (Amendment) Bill 2025, which was adopted by the house within minutes.
According to the National Assembly record, all four bills were passed within nine minutes and without debate, following the government’s call to harmonise the armed forces’ legal frameworks with the 27th Amendment Act.
An official statement from the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that the amendments were designed to bring the laws governing Pakistan’s defence institutions into conformity with constitutional provisions. A major structural change under these amendments is the abolition of the position of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee after the retirement of the current officeholder.
The legislation also creates new honorary ranks across the services – Field Marshal for the Army, Marshal of the Air Force, and Admiral of the Fleet for the Navy – to acknowledge exceptional contributions within the military hierarchy.
Earlier in the day, the federal cabinet approved the same set of legislative reforms during its meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked the ministers for their support on the 27th Constitutional Amendment, while members of the cabinet extended their congratulations and gave him a standing ovation.
The session also approved the draft of the Federal Constitutional Court (Procedure and Practice) Act 2025, establishing a procedural framework for the court’s operations. Additionally, the cabinet endorsed decisions made during the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) meeting held on 7 November 2025, further aligning legislative measures with the government’s ongoing administrative agenda.
Following the cabinet’s endorsement, the bills were tabled in the National Assembly and passed the same day, marking one of the swiftest legislative approvals in recent sessions.