Pakistan's parliament on Monday endorsed an amendment to a law that would extend the terms of the heads of the armed forces, including the army chief, to five years from three, despite opposition from jailed ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan's party.
Extending the term of top commanders, including Army Chief General Asim Munir, who assumed office two years ago, would further undermine the position of the embattled Khan and his party, which holds the military responsible for his downfall.
The measure, proposed by the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who leads a coalition of parties against Khan and came to power following an election in February, could be intended to secure support from influential military figures.
The bill to amend the Pakistan Army Act of 1952 was introduced by Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif. House Speaker Ayaz Sadiq announced during a live broadcast of the parliamentary session that the bill had been passed. Lawmakers from Khan's party vocally opposed the bill during the session.
For the bill to become law, it must also gain approval from the Senate, the upper house, which is dominated by parties opposed to Khan.
The former prime minister, who has been in jail since August last year, has been in conflict with generals whom he accuses of orchestrating his 2022 ouster, following his disagreement with then-army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Khan's party supported candidates who secured the most seats in February's election but failed to achieve a majority, enabling his opponents to form a government. Since then, Khan's supporters have been protesting both in parliament and on the streets, alleging that the election was manipulated to prevent them from gaining power, a claim denied by the army and the election commission.
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