Federal cabinet approves Defence Forces Act 2026 Amendments

The federal cabinet of Pakistan approved amendments to the Defence Forces Act 2026 and the National Command Authority Act 2010 on Thursday, according to the Prime Minister's Office. The decisions were made during a meeting of the cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad. The proposed Defence Forces Act 2026 has been drafted as a follow-up to the amendments introduced through the 27th Constitutional Amendment.

The legislation seeks to clarify administrative matters related to the Chief of Defence Forces and the Chief of Defence Forces Headquarters. Once approved, the draft Defence Forces Act 2026 will be submitted to parliament for its ongoing session. The cabinet also endorsed amendments to the National Command Authority Act 2010, which are considered necessary following the 27th Constitutional Amendment.

The revised draft of the National Command Authority Act 2010 will also be presented to parliament for approval. The 27th Constitutional Amendment brought about significant changes to Pakistan's military hierarchy, including the establishment of the Chief of Defence Forces position. This dual-hatted role is concurrently held by the Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, who took office as the country's first Chief of Defence Forces on December 4, 2025.