New National Assembly should decide COAS tenure issue

Hyderabad: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that a new National Assembly elected through fresh elections should decide the issue of extension of the army chief's tenure, media reports said.

"The court ordered parliament to legislate. Although we respect the court's order, this fake parliament does not have the right, the nation's mandate and trust to legislate on the law," said Rehman while addressing a public meeting in Sukkur district on Thursday.

He reiterated his demand that the existing assemblies should be dissolved and snap polls should be called at the earliest to comply with the court's order. "The illegitimate rulers have become a threat to the country's security," he emphasised.

Referring to Prime Minister Imran Khan, the JUI-F chief said the country's ruler was oblivious of the laws of the land and that "he is not even aware how a notification is supposed to be issued".

He said the opposition parties were unanimous that the PTI government lacked legitimacy and that new elections should be held in a free and transparent manner.

The Supreme Court in its short order gave the government six months to legislate and iron out the lacunae in the reappointment or extension of tenure of an army chief through an act of parliament.