NA passes bills related to military, nuclear command structure as Bilawal objects, opposition walks out

On Thursday, the National Assembly passed two bills concerning military and nuclear command structures. However, the opposition walked out in protest, objecting to the legislation. One of the bills, the Defence Forces Act, 2010, was presented by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif. The other, an amended National Command Authority Act, 2010, was raised objections by PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who alleged no consultation had taken place prior to the bills' presentation.

The bills were not on the National Assembly's agenda for that day; they had been approved earlier by the federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The bills were described as a continuation of changes made to the Constitution under the 27th Amendment, which had fundamentally altered Pakistan's higher defence architecture.

This amendment abolished the office of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and created the new position of chief of defence forces, held by Gen Asim Munir. Additional changes, such as the creation of the Commander of the National Strategic Command (CNSC) post, were intended to modernize the country's strategic forces integration.