ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Saturday said the extension in army chief’s tenure was an issue of national interest and legislation on it would be made with consensus of all political parties in the Parliament.
“Prime Minister Imran Khan has constituted a committee to contact the opposition leaders for developing consensus over the issue,” she said while talking to a local news channel.
She said the committee comprised Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Defence Minister Pervez Khattak and Leader of the House in Senate Syed Shibli Faraz.
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On Nov 29, Attorney General of Pakistan Anwar Mansoor Khan had said that the opposition would be answerable to the court if it created any hurdle on the legislation on the extension of army chief’s tenure.
“The government does not want any kind of conflict among the institutions,” Anwar Mansoor Khan said while talking to a private news channel.
He said the present government would implement the court orders in letter and spirit and legislate in the parliament on the chief of army staff’s extension in due course of time.
About the extension of three-year duration, he said the parliament would decide the length of the period.
Talking to media while flanked by Attorney General of Pakistan Anwar Mansoor Khan, former Minister for Law and Justice Dr Farogh Naseem and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar on Nov 28, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan had said that the Supreme Court verdict on the petition challenging the extension of Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa was the victory of democracy and it would help strengthening institutions.
She had said that the judgment had provided the opportunity to rectify the lacunas in the existing laws and remove them with necessary legislation.
Firdous Ashiq Awan had said the petition challenging the extension of COAS’s tenure must not be linked with any particular personality.
