Iraq's PMF Law: Delays are injustice

Shafaq News/ A long-delayed vote on service and retirement rights for Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) prompted renewed calls for action on Tuesday, as the Parliamentary Security and Defense Committee warned the force must not become a “casualty” of political infighting.

“The government must return the PMF Service and Retirement Law for a vote,” committee member Ahmad al-Mousawi told reporters. “It has already passed its second reading and should guarantee the rights and sacrifices of PMF personnel.”

Al-Mousawi said delays to the legislation amounted to “injustice,” adding that the committee would not allow the PMF to become a “victim of conflicts or bargaining.”

The proposed law is distinct from another PMF-related bill currently under discussion in parliament, which addresses the force’s command structure and internal organization, he noted.

PMF chief Faleh al-Fayyad said last week that lawmakers would soon pass new legislation to formally reorganize the force.