Pakistan Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa’s Tenure Extended For Six More Months: Reports

The Pakistani Supreme Court on Thursday allowed Qamar Javed Bajwa to remain as the country’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) for another six months, during which the parliament will legislate on the extension or reappointment of an Army Chief, according to the Dawn news.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khosa pronounced the verdict after the Imran Khan government assured that Parliament will bring a legislation regarding the extension or reappointment of an Army Chief in the next six months.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Pakistan Supreme Court had suspended the extension of Bajwa as Army Chief, setting aside a notification issued by Prime Minister Imran Khan in which Bajwa’s tenure was extended by three more years.

Supreme court also issued notices to defence ministry, the federal government, and General Bajwa. Importantly, General Bajwa is due to retire on November 29. He will be replaced by General Raheel Sharif as Pakistan Army Chief. On August 19, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had approved the extension of General Qamar Javed Bajwa as the Chief of Army Staff.

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According to a notification issued from the Prime Minister Office, Imran Khan took the decision "in view of the regional security environment". General Bajwa's Army Career Bajwa, who was commissioned in the 16 Baloch Regiment in October 1980, is a graduate of Canadian Forces Command and Staff College in Canada, and the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.

The army chief-designate has spent a considerable part of his military service in the Rawalpindi-based 10 Corps, which is responsible for guarding the Line of Control (LoC). However, his time at the 10 Corps was a period of relative quiet following the 2003 ceasefire accord. He is the fourth officer from the infantry’s Baloch Regiment to become the army chief. Before him, Gen Yahya Khan, Gen Aslam Beg and Gen Kayani rose to that position.