SC detailed verdict on COAS extension likely tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: Eagerly awaited detailed verdict of the three-member bench of the Supreme Court (SC) on petition regarding extension of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) service period will be announced tomorrow (Monday) as the learned court issued brief orders last month wherein it asked for legislation within six months for determination of length of the service of the COAS and till then General Qamar Javed Bajwa will continue in the office.

Well-placed sources told The News here Saturday that the detailed judgment will not be delayed any further beyond Tuesday in case it isn’t announced on Monday. The detailed judgment is likely to conclude the controversy regarding the determination of the term of the Army Chief’s service either through constitutional amendment or by an act of Parliament since the debate was generated among constitutional experts, political commentators and legislators about the subject.

The major political parties of the country including Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) and PPP were also sitting with their fingers crossed to wait the detailed judgment for taking position on the question of service period of the Army Chief. Some federal ministers were of the view that the requisite legislation could be undertaken through act of Parliament while some political stalwarts insisted that the needful could be done through an amendment in Article 243 of the Constitution only and it couldn’t be done without bringing about constitutional amendment. The act of Parliament could be adopted through simple majority of the members in the house while for constitutional amendment two-third support of the house members would be required for passage.

Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, Justice Mian Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah constituted the bench of the apex court that heard the petition. Attorney General Anwar Mansoor Khan also had said that simple act of Parliament would be required for fixation of the tenure of the Army Chief. The brief judgment was pronounced by Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa who is attaining superannuation on 20th of this month and expected to handed the detailed judgment four days before his retirement. He had been part of the benches which had heard and disposed many important cases of the recent history of the country. Wild speculation is underway throughout the country about the expected detailed judgment that has attained significant importance.