Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that discussions were ongoing to amend an article of the Constitution, which addresses the control and command of the armed forces.
“Consultations on amending Article 243 are ongoing […] defence requirements have changed,” the minister told Geo News exclusively on Wednesday in Islamabad.
The Constitution’s 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.
“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.
Asif noted that consultations were ongoing with all political parties on the proposed amendment.
However, he declined to further comment on the potential tweak, saying that he “would not say anything until the amendment to Article 243 was finalised”.
The minister expected clarity on the consensus within the next two or three days, with the 27th Amendment likely to be presented to parliament next week.
This is a developing story and is being updated with new details.
