Pakistan Supreme Court reserves verdict in Army Chief General Bajwa extension case

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Supreme Court on Thursday (November 28) has reserved its verdict in Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa extension case, saying that the verdict would be announced later on Thursday.

The top court, however, asked the federal government to furnish a fresh summary of Bajwa's extension of services before the announcement of the verdict.

The court requires that the summary to:

- not mention the Supreme Court
- exclude the mention of a three-year tenure of extension
- not include details regarding the army chief’s salary and incentives

The SC also said that the government must give an undertaking mentioning that it would legislate on the matter within six months.

The plea challenging General Bajwa's extension was heard by a three-member bench of the Pakistan Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa and comprising Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah.

During the hearing, the chief justice of Pakistan SC asked the Attorney General Anwar Mansoor Khan to present the notifications of extension granted to former army chief general (retd) Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and General Raheel Sharif. "We were told yesterday that generals never retire," remarked CJP Khosa.

The attorney general responded saying that General Bajwa has been reappointed under Article 243, to which the Chief Justice of Pakistan said that you have to convince us this is legal.

The court heard the arguments made by the attorney general and General Bajwa's counsel Farogh Naseem and said that the verdict in this case will be announced later on Thursday.