National Strategic Command (NSC)

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Federal cabinet approves drafts of two bills related to military, nuclear command structure​

News Desk Syed Irfan Raza
August 20, 2026

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet approved on Thursday the drafts of two bills pertaining to the military and nuclear command structure.

A statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) following a federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad said the drafts of the Defence Forces Act, 2026 and amended National Command Authority Act, 2010 had been approved.

The statement said the Defence Forces Act’s draft had been prepared in continuation of the tweaks made to the Constitution under the 27th Amendment and “aims to determine the relevant administrative matters regarding the office of the Chief of Defence Forces and the Chief of Defence Forces Headquarters”.

Regarding amendments to the National Command Authority Act, the statement said it was “a necessary process” following the 27th Constitutional Amendment.

It said both drafts will be presented in Parliament for approval during its ongoing session, which was summoned by President Asif Ali Zardari around a week ago and began on August 17.

The 27th Constitutional Amendment, enacted in November last year, fundamentally altered Pakistan’s higher defence architecture by abolishing the office of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and creating the new position of chief of defence forces, concurrently held by the chief of army staff.

 

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NA passes Defence Forces Act 2026, amendments to National Command Authority Act 2010​

The Senate session has begun under the chairmanship of Presiding Officer Manzoor Kakar

Waqas Ahmad/Web Desk
August 20, 2026

The National Assembly on Thursday passed the National Command Authority (Amendment) Bill 2026 and the Defence Forces Act 2026 by a majority vote, with the opposition boycotting the voting process and walking out of the assembly in protest. The Senate session subsequently began under the chairmanship of Presiding Officer Manzoor Kakar.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was present in the House and, upon arrival, went to the opposition benches, where he shook hands with NA opposition leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Barrister Gohar, Asad Qaiser and Aamir Dogar.

The bills were presented to the House for approval after the government had earlier tabled it as part of a supplementary agenda.

 

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The Defence Forces Act was prepared to give effect to changes made to Article 243 of the Constitution through the 27th Amendment, which recast the country's military command structure.

The constitutional changes provided for the army chief to simultaneously serve as the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), while abolishing the office of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC).

According to the PMO, the draft law would set out the administrative arrangements relating to the office of the CDF and the CDF Headquarters, providing the legal framework for the new command structure established through the constitutional amendment.

The cabinet also approved amendments to the National Command Authority Act 2010, which the PMO described as a necessary step following the 27th Constitutional Amendment. The amended bill would also be presented before Parliament.