Tag: COAS

  • PML-N takes U-Turn on Gen Bajwa’s extension: report

    PML-N takes U-Turn on Gen Bajwa’s extension: report

    Contrary to earlier claims, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has reportedly decided to unconditionally back the amendments made to the Army Act by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf  (PTI) government to facilitate the extension service of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

    According to Geo News, the decision was made after a meeting of PML-N parliamentary members received a message from the party leadership on Thursday, advising the party to fully back the amendment bill when it is tabled in the parliament by the government. 

    “The PML-N leadership reportedly does not want the position of COAS to become controversial, and has thus decided to support the PTI government in a bid to amend the Army Act under the directions of a verdict of the Supreme Court (SC) in this regard,” the report said.

    A day earlier, the federal cabinet had in an emergency meeting accorded its approval to amendments to the Army Act under which the premier will be empowered to extend the tenure of all services chiefs.

    The bill pertaining to the amendment will be tabled in the National Assembly on Friday and the amendment has been prepared as per the guidelines enumerated in the SC’s verdict.

    The top court had in November 2019 told the government to legislate on an extension in the COAS’s services within six months, allowing Gen Bajwa to stay in office until then, after briefly suspending the notification of the extension in his tenure.

    With the government going into action to ensure an extension for the army chief but lacking the numbers in the parliament for necessary legislation, the PML-N had earlier warned the PTI, saying it would not be easy if the hostile attitude of the Imran Khan-led government towards the opposition continued.

  • I only watch wrestling on TV: judge who wants Musharraf hanged at D-Chowk

    I only watch wrestling on TV: judge who wants Musharraf hanged at D-Chowk

    Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice (CJ) Waqar Ahmed Seth, who on Thursday made headlines for his damning remarks in Gen (r) Pervez Mushrraf’s treason case judgement, has said that the only thing he watches on TV is wrestling.

    The PHC CJ, who was a part of the three-judge special court trying the former military ruler for treason, had a day earlier drawn ire of people on both mainstream and social media for proposing Musharraf’s public hanging.

    Both the government and the army had expressed “anger” over a specific paragraph 66 of the detailed judgement and termed it “unlawful”, “inhuman” and “unconstitutional”.

    Para 66 of the verdict read: “We direct the law enforcement agencies to strive their level best to apprehend the fugitive/convict [Pervez Musharraf] and to ensure that the punishment is inflicted as per law and if found dead, his corpse be dragged to the D-Chowk [in front of the Parliament House], Islamabad, Pakistan, and be hanged for three days.”

    With the government deciding to move the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) and file an appeal against the verdict during a meeting of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) strategic committee, chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan after his telephonic conversation with Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, a lawyer, Advocate Moazzam Butt, on Friday praised Justice Seth for staying calm despite all the backlash.

    “It’s impressive how calm you are,” the lawyer said to Justice Seth as the latter heard a case at the PHC, Express News reported.

    Responding to the lawyer’s praise, the judge said that nothing had happened until he left home earlier in the day. “I don’t watch TV… I only watch wrestling,” he was quoted as saying.

  • SC issues detailed judgement in Gen Bajwa’s case, points out flaws

    SC issues detailed judgement in Gen Bajwa’s case, points out flaws

    The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday issued its detailed judgment on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s extension, pointing out the flaws in the process undertaken by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

    Citing procedural loopholes, the top court had last month suspended a notification issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in August for the army chief’s reappointment till 2022.

    It had directed the federal government to legislate and remove lacunae in the reappointment/extension of tenure of the COAS within six months.

    The detailed written judgement released Monday in connection with the previous short, the SC said it had “found that the Pakistan Army Act, 1952 falls deficient of the structural requirements for raising and maintaining an Army under clause (3) of Article 243 of the Constitution”.

    EXPLAINED:

    The verdict noted that “no tenure or age of retirement for the rank of General is provided under the law. As per the institutional practice a general retires on completion of a tenure of three years. Although an institutional practice cannot be a valid substitute of the law.”

    “There is no provision in the law for extending service of a General for another tenure; nor is there any consistent and continuous institutional practice of granting such extension,” Justice Shah wrote, adding that the summaries for the reappointment, extension and fresh appointment of General Bajwa were “meaningless” in absence of the relevant law.

  • ‘Army chief is our nation’s father,’ says Shehryar Afridi

    Minister for Narcotics Control Shehryar Khan Afridi has said that army chief is considered as nation’s both mother and father.

    While talking during a talk show on ARY News channel the minister said that in tough situations a nation always takes bold steps to maintain peace in the region.

    Replying to a question about why Pakistan Tehreeke Insaf (PTI) government thinks that a single man can avert tough situations in the country, Shehryar said, “Every house has a father and a mother and both have their own roles, at this stage when the country is in critical situation and facing threats from all sides, all nations has to take bold steps”.

    To this journalist Waseem Badami said that “this seems like an inappropritate example, as you cannot change your father after three or six years”.

    To this the minister said that “the head of state and the head of institution [Army Chief] can be considered as both, a father and a mother”.

    Watch Video:

    Army Chief extension case

    The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday allowed the federal government to grant a six-month extension to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

    In its short order, the SC directed the government to bring necessary legislation within six months’ time.

    The order, read out by Chief Justice (CJ) Asif Saeed Khosa, ordered the parliament to introduce legislation for appointment of Gen Bajwa under Article 243.

    The order stated regarding the Article 243: “Article 243 of the Constitution clearly mandates that the Federal Government shall have control and command of the Armed Forces and the supreme command of the Armed Forces shall vest in the President.”

    CJ Khosa remarked that the court is observing judicial restraint and leaving the matter to the parliament, adding that “We have reviewed several laws including Army Act 1952 and Rule 1954”.

    The court had earlier reserved its verdict in this high-profile case and directed the federal government to furnish a fresh summary of the army chief’s extension of services.

  • ‘We’ve been told that generals never retire,’ says CJP Khosa

    ‘We’ve been told that generals never retire,’ says CJP Khosa

    Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khan Khan Khosa, hearing the petition challenging Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s extension, has said the court was told that “generals never retire”.

    A three member bench of the Supreme Court (SC), headed by CJP Khosa and comprising Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, on Thursday allowed the federal government to grant a six-month extension to Army chief Gen Bajwa.

    In its short order the apex court directed the government to bring necessary legislation within six months’ time. The order, read out by the CJP, ordered the parliament to introduce legislation for appointment of the army chief under Article 243 of the constitution.

    He remarked that the court was observing judicial restraint and leaving the matter to the parliament. “We have reviewed several laws including Army Act 1952 and Rule 1954.”

    The court had earlier reserved its verdict in this high-profile case and directed the federal government to furnish a fresh summary of the army chief’s extension of services.

    “We were told yesterday [Wednesday] that generals never retire,” the top judge remarked as hearing resumed on Thursday.

    The attorney general (AG) informed the court that Gen Bajwa has been reappointed under Article 243, to which the CJP remarked that the government had to convince the court that it was legal.

    After arguments made by the AG and Gen Bajwa’s counsel Farogh Naseem, the bench stated that a 10-member full court will announce the short order in the afternoon, whereas the detailed verdict would be issued in the evening.

    In the meantime, the court granted Gen Bajwa permission to continue working, conditionally. It further instructed the government to prepare a fresh notification, which did not list the tenure of the extension.

  • Army chief belongs at border, but he was getting his summary fixed at PM House last night: CJP

    Army chief belongs at border, but he was getting his summary fixed at PM House last night: CJP

    Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, who is heading the Supreme Court (SC) bench hearing the case pertaining to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s extension, has said that “the army chief belongs at the border, but he was getting his summary fixed at the Prime Minister (PM) House last night”.

    On Wednesday night, the federal government, aided by the military’s counsel, drafted a new summary removing all legal lacunae pointed out by the apex court earlier in the day, as it heard the petition challenging Gen Bajwa’s extension.

    For the first time, the paperwork was completed with the assistance of Judge Advocate General (JAG) Branch of the GHQ, according to The News.

    According to the publication, input from the JAG Branch was sought by the ministry concerned after the SC highlighted serious errors in the drafts presented to it following the suspension of the army chief’s extension.

    The fresh summary was inked by midnight, and has replaced the words “re-appointment” with “extension in service”. Once finalised, the summary was sent to the federal cabinet through a circulation process late on Wednesday night and then submitted to the president, who issued the requisite notification.

    The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and the attendees included the COAS himself.

    “The army chief’s job is to protect the country’s borders, but last night he stayed at the PM House to get his summary fixed. It’s embarassing,” the top judge reportedly said Thursday as the three-member bench resumed hearing the case.

    He added that it was regrettable how the COAS’s time was wasted because of the incompetence of the government at such a crucial time for national security. “He [Gen Bajwa] had to be there to guide them,” CJP Khosa was quoted as saying.

  • Lawyer, ‘who moved court against Gen Bajwa’s extension’, found

    Lawyer, ‘who moved court against Gen Bajwa’s extension’, found

    The lawyer, Riaz Hanif Rahi who challenged the extension of Chief of Army Staff’s (COAS) tenure has been found. He earlier failed to appear in court on Tuesday nor anybody else had appeared on his behalf.

    In a recent video posted by journalist Baqir Sajjad on his Twitter account shows the petitioner appearing in court for hearing of the army chief’s extension case. Replying to the question about why he filed an application to withdraw his original petition against Gen Bajwa, he replied, “I have no personal grudge with anyone and highlighted the point as law demanded it”.

    https://twitter.com/baqirsajjad/status/1199554944099061765?s=21

    Riaz Rahi, however, refused to answer when asked: “If someone is pressurizing him to withdraw his original petition against COAS extension?”.

    The Jurist Foundation had earlier challenged Gen Bajwa’s reappointment through its counsel Riaz Hanif Rahi, requesting the apex court to declare it null and void, and illegal.

    When the court assembled on Tuesday, a hand-written application from the petitioner Riaz was submitted before the bench, seeking withdrawal of his petition. The chief justice (CJ) Asif Saeed Khosa remarked that the application was not accompanied by any affidavit and it was not known if the withdrawal of the petition was voluntarily.

    CJ Khosa later rejected the application against Gen Bajwa’s extension and took up the petition under Article 184 (3) of the Constitution as it involved a question of “public importance”.

  • Farrogh Naseem can go to jail for representing Gen Bajwa with a suspended licence: Pakistan Bar Council

    Farrogh Naseem can go to jail for representing Gen Bajwa with a suspended licence: Pakistan Bar Council

    Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) Vice Chairman Amjad Shah has said that Law Minister Farogh Naseem, who on Tuesday resigned from office to fight for an extension to the army chief in the Supreme Court (SC), cannot legally represent General Qamar Javed Bajwa because the minister’s practice licence was suspended by the council a few months ago.

    In a video tweeted by senior journalist and analyst Hamid Mir, Shah said that if Farogh appeared in court to represent chief of the army staff (COAS) with his suspended licence, they would raise objections and anyone practising law with a suspended licence could face up to one-year imprisonment.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    According to the PBC, Naseem, having joined the federal cabinet as the law minister, was required to get his licence suspended under Rule 108-O of the Pakistan Legal Practitioners & Bar Councils Rules, 1976, but failed to do so.

    Moreover, another reason for the suspension of his licence was filing a reference against an honest top judge, Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

    The attorney general (AG) had subsequently quashed the PBC ruling. However, the council had said it was not AG’s jurisdiction to nullify the ruling. The former law minister will have to approach the council for renewal of his licence.

    Naseem’s resignation Tuesday came soon after a meeting of the federal cabinet. The meeting was summoned to discuss the petition filed by the Jurist Foundation against Gen Bajwa’s extension.

    The cabinet said it was a unanimous decision to give General Bajwa the extension for another three years. The participants of the meeting were of the view that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, being the chief executive of the country, had the authority to extend the army chief’s tenure.

    Earlier in the day, the SC had suspended the official notification extending the tenure of the army chief. The apex court said the AG was asked under which law an army chief’s tenure could be extended or he could be re-appointed. But the country’s top lawyer failed to explain it, the court added.

    WEDNESDAY’S HEARING:

    On Wednesday, a three-member bench of the top court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khan Khosa and comprising Justice Mazhar Alam and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, resumed hearing the petition challenging the extension of the COAS.

    Naseem submitted his power of attorney as the CJP Khosa asked AG Anwar Mansoor Khan if they had accepted the points raised by the court Tuesday.

    To this, the AG replied that they have not accepted the mistakes. “This is not a suo motu case, media did not understand it correctly,” CJP Khosa remarked. “We are hearing the case on the petition filed by Raiz Riahi.”

    He then asked the AG to present the summary approved by the federal cabinet in its meeting on Tuesday. “I informed the court yesterday as well that we are waiting for some ministers to respond on the extension notification,” the AG said.

    “If there is no answer, so we assume the answer is yes?” the CJP inquired.

    To this, the AG replied that according to the law, that is correct.

    The top judge then said that this course of action was only acceptable when the answer has to be given in a certain time period. “If this was an open mandate we would have let it go. The cabinet has accepted the mistakes that we pointed out,” he added.

    The attorney general then submitted the documents pertaining to Tuesday’s decisions by the federal cabinet to the court and the hearing was adjorned till 1 pm.

  • Pakistan offers Qatar security for 2022 FIFA World Cup

    Pakistan offers Qatar security for 2022 FIFA World Cup

    President Arif Alvi has offered Qatar of providing security for the next FIFA World Cup being held in the Gulf country in 2022, stressing that Pakistan had vast experience in that domain, The Express Tribune reported.

    According to the details, talking to Commander of the Qatar Emiri Guard, Maj-Gen Hazzaa Bin Khalil Bin Mansour Al-Shahwani, President Alvi said that a lot of scope existed between the two countries to include defence export and joint production ventures.

    Dr Alvi underscored that having vast experience in the domain of security and the professionalism of its armed forces, “Pakistan can provide Qatar security for Football World Cup 2022″.

    He also emphasised on the need for enhancing the training collaboration and professional interaction between defence forces of the two countries, appreciating the agreement for sale of eight Super Mushak aircraft to Qatar worth $57.74 million in 2016.

    The president urged Qatar to support Pakistan in its endeavours to highlight Indian human rights violations in Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) before the world, and stressed the need for the international community to persuade India to resolve the long withstanding dispute in accordance with United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions.

    “The fascist Indian regime is flagrantly violating the human rights of Kashmiris by revoking the special status of occupied Kashmir and by suspending their civil liberties. The Indian government has adopted a hostile attitude towards all its minorities,” the report quoted Alvi as saying.

    Maj-Gen Al-Shahwani said, “Qatar considered it a religious duty to support Pakistan at all levels”.

    Separately, the Qatari commander also called on army chief General Qamar Bajwa at the GHQ in Rawalpindi, and discussed matters of mutual and professional interest and regional security situation.

  • CJP suspends COAS Bajwa’s extension notification

    CJP suspends COAS Bajwa’s extension notification

    Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khosa has suspended the notification of Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa’s tenure extension on Tuesday, Dawn reported.

    According to the details, the court has issued notices to all parties, including Gen Bajwa.

    During the hearing of a petition challenging the extension in Gen Bajwa’s tenure today, the chief justice said, “Only the president of Pakistan can extend the tenure of the army chief.”

    “Army chief’s tenure was extended after the president’s approval,” the attorney general (AG) told the court, adding that “The summary had been approved by the cabinet.”

    The AG also said, “A similar petition was filed in the Peshawar High Court but was withdrawn later”.

    On August 19, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan had approved an extension in the tenure of Gen Bajwa for another three years.