Major developments took place in Islamabad. The Federal Cabinet approved drafts of two important bills: the “Defense Forces Act, 2026” and amendments to the “National Command Authority Act, 2010.” These bills are meant to align the country’s military and strategic command structure with the 27th Constitutional Amendment passed in late 2025.
The National Assembly and Senate on Thursday passed the National Command Authority (Amendment) Bill 2026 and the Defence Forces Act 2026 by a majority vote, with the opposition boycotting the voting process and walking out of the assembly in protest.
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— The Express Tribune (@etribune) August 20, 2026
Defense Forces Act of 2026
The Defense Forces Act pertains to the administrative matters concerning the newly created post of Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) and the CDF Headquarters. For context, the post of CDF was created after the abolition of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.
National Command Authority Act, 2010
Furthermore, the Federal Cabinet also approved necessary amendments to the National Command Authority Act, 2010. The purpose is to integrate the newly established Commander of the National Strategic Command (CNSC) into the new strategic command framework. Notably, the Prime Minister of Pakistan promoted General Syed Aamer Raza and appointed him as the country’s first Commander of the National Strategic Command.
The aforementioned bills will be presented in Parliament for final enactment, after which more details will be revealed.
While addressing the cabinet, the PM offered the opposition renewed, constructive dialogue for economic progress and national stability. Additionally, he pointed out the key economic developments;
- Reduction of high-speed diesel price by 30-32 Rupees per liter.
- 18% surge in IT exports for July 2026.
- New retail digitization scheme.
- Opening of Google’s first office in Pakistan.
