The Supreme Court of Pakistan has dismissed a petition challenging the extension of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir’s tenure.
A seven-member constitutional bench, led by Justice Aminuddin Khan, rejected the petition on grounds of non-prosecution, citing objections raised by the Registrar’s Office regarding its inadmissibility. The bench included Justices Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Ayesha Malik, Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Musarrat Hilali, and Naeem Akhtar Afghan.
The petition was filed by Mahmoud Akhtar Naqvi, who had sought to challenge the legal grounds for extending General Munir’s term. However, the court upheld procedural objections, leading to its dismissal.
Last week, the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench had scheduled hearings for over 2,000 cases, including the one concerning the army chief’s extension and another related to the formation of a commission to investigate alleged audio leaks involving government officials.
In a related development, parliament recently amended the law to extend the terms of the chiefs of staff for all three branches of the armed forces—Army, Navy, and Air Force—from three to five years. The amendment was enacted into law after being signed by Acting President Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani earlier this month.
The dismissal of the petition concerning General Munir reflects the judiciary’s adherence to procedural requirements and signals its stance on matters involving military appointments. Meanwhile, the legislative amendments reflect a broader shift in the institutional framework governing Pakistan’s armed forces.
These developments underscore the dynamic interplay between Pakistan’s judiciary, legislature, and executive in addressing key national issues.
