The National Assembly on Thursday passed, by majority vote, the Defence Forces Act 2026 and the National Command Authority (Amendment) Bill, following their approval by the federal cabinet earlier. According to the details, the National Command Authority Amendment Bill 2026 was presented in the National Assembly by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif.
Under the proposed amendment, the Chief of Defence Forces will be included in the National Command Authority, while the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee will be removed from its composition. The opposition walked out of the session after PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar was not given an opportunity to speak. The National Assembly session was later adjourned until 11 am tomorrow.
According to the government, amendments to the National Command Authority Act became necessary following the 27th Constitutional Amendment. The changes are intended to align the relevant legal and administrative matters with the new constitutional framework. The Federal Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad, has approved the draft Defence Forces Act 2026.
The draft has been prepared in light of the amendments introduced through the 27th Constitutional Amendment and seeks to establish the relevant administrative framework for the office of the Chief of Defence Forces and the Chief of Defence Forces Headquarters.
The Cabinet also approved amendments to the National Command Authority Act 2010, a step deemed necessary following the 27th Constitutional Amendment. The amended draft of the National Command Authority Act 2010 will also be presented before Parliament for approval.