Pak SC adjourns until Thursday Army chief Bajwa's extension case

Pakistan's top court on Wednesday adjourned until Thursday the hearing of a crucial case whose outcome may block the powerful Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa from serving another three-year term.

Prime Minister Imran Khan through an official notification of August 19 granted a three-year extension to General Bajwa, citing "regional security environment".

Bajwa's original tenure is set to expire on November 29 and he can continue as the army chief if the Supreme Court decides the case in his favour before Friday.

"There is still time. The government should step back and assess what it is doing," said Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, who is heading a three-member apex court bench comprising Justices Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel and Syed Mansoor Ali Shah.

"They should not do something like this with a high-ranking officer," the chief justice said, referring to the extension of the army chief's tenure.

Farogh Naseem, who resigned from his post as law minister on Tuesday to pursue the case represented Gen Bajwa, while Attorney General Anwar Mansoor Khan presented arguments on behalf of the government.

Khan said that the process was "nothing new" and "extensions were notified in the same manner in the past."
Responding to his argument, Justice Alam said, "In the past the court never stepped in to assess someone's extension in tenure."
"According to the law, during a war, the army chief can stop officers' retirements," Khosa said. "However, the government wants to stop the army chief's retirement."
Justice Shah pointed out that Article 243 of the Constitution talks about the appointment of an officer and asked: "Does it mention the period of appointment as well?"