PM, opposition leader propose names for ECP members

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan and Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif have proposed three names each for the two vacant posts of members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), while Shahbaz Sharif has also recommended three names for the post of the chief election commissioner.

The prime minister proposed three names each for the seats of members of the ECP from Sindh and Balochistan in separate letters to Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani and NA Speaker Asad Qaiser. From Sindh, the premier proposed the names of retired judges Sadiq Bhatti, Noorul Haq Qureshi and Abdul Jabbar Qureshi, whereas from Balochistan, Dr Faiz Kakar, Naveed Jan Baloch and Amanullah Baloch were proposed.

Meanwhile, Shahbaz Sharif in a letter to the prime minister proposed the names of Nisar Durrani, Justice (retd) Abdul Rasul Memon and Aurangzeb Haq from Sindh, and from Balochistan, he suggested the names of Supreme Court lawyer Shah Muhammad Jatoi, former advocate general of the province Muhammad Rauf Atta and Rahila Durrani. In another letter to the premier, Shahbaz also proposed three names for the post of CEC. The opposition leader proposed Nasir Mahmood Khosa, Jalil Abbas Jilani and Akhlaq Ahmad Tarar for the coveted post.

Shahbaz pointed out that the incumbent CEC Justice (retd) Sardar Raza’s term will expire on December 06. He also reminded the premier that two posts of members are already vacant. He told Imran Khan that under Section 3 of the Elections Act, 2017, it is a requirement that an ECP bench must have at least three members, with or without the CEC. He said the consequences of delay in appointment would be turning ECP dysfunctional on the said date (December 06), unless either a new CEC or one or more members is appointed. The PML-N president, citing Article 213 of the Constitution, said that the premier should have started consultation process on the new CEC much earlier. He added that he is taking the initiative by forwarding three names to avoid any possible discontinuity in the functioning of the ECP. The seats of the two ECP members from Sindh and Balochistan are unoccupied for several months now.

Earlier, President Dr Arif Alvi had notified appointment of two members, one each from Sindh and Balochistan. However, Justice (retd) Sardar Muhammad Raza had declined to administer oath to them, saying due procedure was not adopted while appointing them. The government had maintained that the appointments were made after exhausting all other options, which remained inconclusive. Likewise, the Islamabad High Court had also suspended the ordinance about these appointments.