The Supreme Court of Pakistan has dismissed a petition challenging the extension of the army chief’s tenure due to the non-appearance of the petitioner, Mehmood Akhtar Naqvi. The case was reviewed by a seven-member constitutional bench, led by Justice Aminuddin Khan, amid objections from the Supreme Court’s Registrar’s Office.
Despite multiple notices, the petitioner failed to attend the hearings or address the objections raised by the Registrar’s Office, which questioned the admissibility of the petition. The petition had argued that recent amendments to the Army Act violated constitutional limits on military service extensions. As a result of the petitioner’s absence, the court dismissed the petition for non-prosecution, noting that the lack of engagement demonstrated a lack of intent to pursue the case seriously.
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The extension of the army chief’s tenure has been a contentious issue in Pakistan, particularly after the federal cabinet, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, approved a draft bill earlier this year amending the Army Act. The amendments extended the tenure of military leaders from three to five years, which was passed with majority support in both houses of parliament.
