ISLAMABAD, Oct 20: The civilian government, will not be able to utilize the services of armed forces or civilian armed forces for more than 60 days for the maintenance of law and order.

According to amendments introduced in the Criminal Procedure Code, inserting new section 131(a) on Saturday, it has been provided that services of the armed forces or civilian armed forces could be secured by the federal government or by the provincial government for public security and maintenance of law and order “for a limited period of 60 days extendible by another period of 30 days, as the circumstances may warrant.”

The earlier provision, which has been overridden by the new one, had not specified the period for which the armed forced could be asked to perform law and order duties.

The law has defined the civilian armed forces, as Pakistan Rangers, Frontier Corps, Frontier Constabulary, Balochistan Constabulary, Pakistan Coast Guards or any other force as the federal government may notify.