ISLAMABAD, January 3: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday chaired a meeting of the parliamentary party regarding the Army Act Amendment Bill 2020 and said the premier has the discretion to extend the army chief’s tenure. Imran Khan remarked that the Supreme Court gave its verdict over the case pertaining to the army chief’s term and the government altogether accepted the decision. The prime minister further said that bureaucracy and business community had reservations over the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) which had halted the national development. The NAB Ordinance 2019 has been introduced in the national interest and the government committee is holding consultations with the opposition over the matter, Imran Khan said. The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari, Special Assistant to PM on Political Affairs Naeemul Haque, PTI Secretary General Amir Mahmood Kiyani, Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul and other leaders. Attorney General Anwar Mansoor Khan briefed the attendees on the Army Act Amendment Bill 2020 and NAB Ordinance 2019. Defence Minister Pervez Khattak and State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan apprised the party leaders of meetings with the opposition parties. After the meeting, Pervez Khattak tabled the Army Act Amendment Bill 2020 in the National Assembly. The bill will be presented in the Senate afterwards and is likely to be approved from both houses as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) decided to back the amendment. It is pertinent here to mention that Pervez Khattak Thursday chaired a meeting of the 33-member of Parliamentary Advisory Committee on Legislative Affairs in the Parliament House which was attended by government officials and representatives of PML-N and PPP. While talking after the meeting, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Farogh Naseem said that the meeting gave briefing to all the political parties and satisfied them on their concerned questions. Pervez Khattak assured that the meeting gave positive results. He expressed that the proposed amendments will be approved by the Assembly. According to sources, the session had agreed upon fulfilling all legal requirements for amendments in the Army Act. -Agencies
