ISLAMABAD
The introduction of a new designation named CDF is under consideration in the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment as part of key defence reforms, The new title is being considered under the proposed amendment to Article 243, aimed at ensuring greater coordination and unified command among the three armed services.
The move is said to have been inspired by lessons drawn from recent Pakistan-India war scenarios and the evolving nature of modern warfare that demands an integrated operational response.
Although the official draft of the 27th Constitutional Amendment has not surfaced, its main points have come to light, including the proposal to tweak Article 243.
Article 243 states that “The Federal Government shall have control and command of the Armed Forces” and “the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces shall vest in the President”, among other things. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif recently said that consultations were underway for amendments to the law that governs armed forces.
“Consultations on amending Article 243 are ongoing […] defence requirements have changed,” the minister told Geo News on November 5. “This entire process will be carried out through mutual consultation,” said the defence minister, whose party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), attempts to amend the Constitution for the second time during its ongoing tenure.
The Pakistan Peoples Party, which rejected most of the proposed amendment of the 27th Constitutional Amendment, has also hinted at tendering conditional support to amend Article 243 of the Constitution. Addressing a presser after an hours-long Central Executive Committee (CEC) late on Thursday, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that his party authorised him to extend conditional support to the federal government’s proposal to amend Article 243, according to The News.
He said the proposed changes included giving a new title to the office of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, creating a new office regarding Strategic Forces Command, and conferring the rank of Field Marshal upon the incumbent army chief following Pakistan’s declared military victory against India earlier this year.
The PPP, however, rejected the proposed changes to the National Finance Commission (NFC) award formula. According to the sources privy to the development, the government has also decided to establish a Constitutional Court under the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment, initially comprising seven judg.
