On Tuesday, the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench dismissed a petition challenging the extension of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir’s tenure, according to APP.
Earlier this month, both the Senate and the National Assembly (NA) passed legislation to increase the number of justices on the Supreme Court and extend the terms of military service chiefs, including the COAS.
The bill, presented by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, extends the tenure of the Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, and Chief of Air Staff from three years to five years.
The opposition party PTI strongly opposed the legislation, with NA opposition leader Omar Ayub Khan criticizing the ruling coalition for extending the army chief’s term, arguing that it had negatively impacted the careers of many talented military officers.
Despite the opposition, the Supreme Court dismissed the petition filed by Mahmood Akhtar Naqvi, as he failed to appear in court to present his case, even after being summoned multiple times.
The new law governing the terms of military leaders also allowed for the dismissal of the petition. The Constitutional Bench, led by Justice Amin ud Din Khan, included Justices Jamal Mandokhail, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Ayesha Malik, Hasan Azher Rizvi, Musarrat Hilali, and Naeem Akhtar Afghan.
This decision is part of the Supreme Court’s ongoing efforts to hear over 2,000 cases this week.
