LHC to hear plea seeking appointment of new army chief on seniority basis today
The Lahore High Court (LHC) will hear a petition seeking the appointment of the new Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) on the basis of seniority today (November 16).
Lahore High Court Justice Faisal Zaman Khan will hear the application on November 16 (today).
Federal Government, Federal Secretary Law, Provincial Secretary Establishment, Provincial Secretary Law and senior jurist Aitzaz Ahsan have been made parties in the petition filed by Advocate Najma Ahmed.
A petition filed by Advocate Najma Ahmed maintained that the current procedure of appointment of the next army chief was ‘unlawful and unconstitutional’, according to media reports.
The LHC has been told that the Chief Justices of High Courts are appointed on the basis of seniority, but the same principle is ignored in the appointment of the Chief of the Army staff (COAS).
In the petition, the court has been asked to appoint the most senior military officer as the COAS suggested by defence ministry
Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s tenure is coming to its end on November 29.
He was initially appointed as COAS in November 2016 for a three-year term. His tenure was extended for another three years in August 2019. However, the Supreme Court (SC) suspended the extension in November 2019.
The apex court extended General Bajwa’s term for six months and asked the Parliament to pass legislation on the re-appointment of services chiefs.
In January 2020, the PTI-led parliament passed legislation, putting the matter of the extension in the tenure of services chiefs at the discretion of the PM.
