ECP members selected by and large smoothly

ISLAMABAD: The challenging process of selection of four members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) culminated smoothly with the exception of usual outcry by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) but in a low tone this time for a change.

It appears that there was a lack of communication or miscommunication even between the senior echelons of the PTI, which is evident from what some of them stated after the nominations were approved by the parliamentary committee.

Apparently, senior PTI stalwart Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who was part of consultations with leader of opposition Syed Khurshid Shah to finalize the list of aspirants, did not properly brief his party colleagues about what had been discussed and firmed up.

The abstention of the lone PTI representative in this panel from voting for the selection of the ECP members from Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) was bizarre when viewed in the lights of hard facts, which have emerged.

The PTI’s awkward knee-jerk reaction showed its absence of homework. It did not even know that otherwise a man of impeccable integrity and character, Tariq Khosa, it wanted to become ECP member from Punjab was overage as he retired in January 2011, meaning he was above 65 years, and thus constitutionally ineligible to be made ECP member.

 More appalling was the fact that transpired when Khosa went public saying that no PTI leader ever talked to him about his recommendation.

Leader of opposition Syed Khurshid Shah disclosed that it was his Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), and not the PTI, that had proposed Khosa’s name but it was withdrawn after it become known that he was overage and disqualified to be inducted.

He also said that after Khosa’s knocking out on technical grounds, they had proposed the name of Justice (retd) Altaf Ibrahim Qureshi. Qureshi did not object to it and only said he did not know him.

PTI spokesman Naeemul Haq wondered as to why Qureshi did not contact Khosa when he had been given the responsibility to speak to him.

Thus, the row solely revolved around the ultimate choice from Punjab. Minutes after the proceedings of the committee concluded, PTI leader Dr Shirin Mazari stated that her party’s recommended names – Tariq Khosa from Punjab and Justice (retd) Fasihul Mulk from KP – were not even considered by the parliamentary forum.  Imran Khan tweeted unfortunate that the ECP member from Punjab was taken without PTI’s recommended name of Tariq Khosa even being put up for discussion. The Punjab member should have been opted for with unanimity and especially with the second largest party, the PTI, on board as the last ECP had collaborated in rigging, he posted.

 Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar said that since he was acquainted with Khosa, he preferred to ignore him. Another reason he gave was that Khosa’s brother Nasir Mehmood became an executive director of the World Bank on the recommendation of the present government. Before that Nasir Mehmood had served as the principal secretary of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

However, although initially the PTI found fault with the nominations for Punjab and KP, it did not make them an issue to make part of its protest starting on August 7.

To keep his reservations low, Imran Khan also did not make even a slight mention of the ECP appointments on the day the parliamentary committee firmed up the names.

It is thus clear that as a whole the selection of the ECP members went well, fueling no major controversy. Overall, all the new ECP members are low profile and unknown figures. Their names have hardly been referred in the public domain before their nomination.

The credit for smooth process equally goes to Ishaq Dar, Khursheed Shah and all the opposition parties. It was proved once again that in democracy mutual discussions and consultations lead to successful resolution of even apparently tricky issues.

With the swearing in of the new members on Wednesday, the ECP will become complete, paving the way for holding of withheld federal and provincial by-polls and election to different tiers of the local governments in Sindh and Punjab.

The incumbent chief election commissioner and the four new members will supervise the next fiercely fought parliamentary polls.