PMF Law back on Iraqi Parliament’s agenda

Shafaq News/ On Monday, Iraq’s State of Law Coalition, led by former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, expressed optimism that the long-debated Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Service and Retirement Law would move forward after being included in the Parliament’s agenda.

The Iraqi Parliament’s fifth session, scheduled for today, includes seven agenda items, notably the first reading of the PMF draft law, which consists of 18 articles.

State of Law MP Aref Al-Hamami told Shafaq News that while political disputes remain, the bill’s inclusion in the session was a step forward. “The important thing is that the law has been added to the agenda. We hope proceedings will move forward without obstruction,” he said.

The inclusion of the PMF law has sparked political debate, as Parliament convenes for the first time in nearly two months. Repeated attempts to pass a consensus version of the law have failed, mainly due to provisions granting retirement benefits to over 3,500 PMF commanders, including its chief, Faleh al-Fayyadh, who have exceeded the legal retirement age.

A source within the Coordination Framework disclosed on March 11 that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani had withdrawn the law from Parliament to ease political tensions and prevent disruptions to legislative sessions. The move was seen as an attempt to end a parliamentary deadlock, as sessions had become contingent on the law’s inclusion in the agenda.

Iraq’s Parliament has repeatedly struggled to reach quorum, leading to ongoing session delays despite the formal scheduling of meetings.