DOHA: The Advisory Council has urged the government to enforce a proposed law to make brief military service compulsory for all young male Qataris, without any exemption.
Once passed, the law is to be implemented on an experimental basis and its impact is to be assessed with feedback taken from people.
The Council has recommended that those who refuse to undergo military training be denied jobs in order to force them to fall in line.
The Council, at its weekly meeting yesterday, approved the draft compulsory military service law unanimously after discussion.
As is the practice, the draft was referred to it by the State Cabinet. Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported that the proposed law could see the light of day this very year.
Once enforced, the legislation will apply to all Qatari men aged between 18 and 35 years. Graduates will need to do the compulsory service for three months, while the duration will be four months for all others.
Exceptions are to be made in the case of sons of defence personnel or prisoners of war or those whose fathers are missing, QNA said.
The Council has said in its recommendations that no exceptions should be made and the service should be compulsory for all who fall within the targeted age group.
The Ministry of Defence will inform the concerned person to report to it within 60 days. It has been recommended that employed Qataris should continue to receive their salaries and other benefits during the period of service, which should be counted in their length of service.
The draft suggests that the government could, in the event of war or any other emergency, ask those who have done the compulsory service to be in an active force for 10 years.
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