Iraqi government approves draft law on Hashd al-Shaabi

According to Kurdistan Press, the Iraqi Council of Ministers approved the draft law on Hashd al-Shaabi on Tuesday and referred it to the country's House of Representatives for review and voting in accordance with the provisions of the constitution.

This measure aims to regulate the legal status of Hashd al-Shaabi and determine the framework of the rights, status and organization of this force. An informed source also announced that this step was taken after the government members agreed to organize the status of the forces and rights of Hashd al-Shaabi within the framework of the law.

The Iraqi Parliament's Security and Defense Commission had previously announced that the draft law on Hashd al-Shaabi would reach parliament within 72 hours and that there is a serious will to review and approve it quickly in parliament.The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) were formed in 2014 after a fatwa from Iraq’s highest Shiite authority to combat ISIS, and a law was passed in 2016 to recognize the force. However, issues such as its organization, budget, and command structure remain a matter of debate.

According to the text presented, the Iraqi government is attempting to establish the PMF’s position in Iraq’s security and military structure, under the command of the Armed Forces, within a more specific legal framework.