Bilawal, Shahbaz discuss candidates for ECP slots

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shahbaz Sharif had a telephone conversation on Saturday, during which they discussed candidates to fill vacancies in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The two leaders’ contact comes amid acrimony between the PPP and the anti-government Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), a member of which is the PML-N.

The PPP Media Cell announced the development on Twitter. According to the tweets, Bilawal and Leader of the Opposition Shahbaz Sharif discussed the overall political situation in the country, and also discussed the issue of appointment of members of the Election Commission.

The PML-N’s official Twitter account said it was Bilawal who telephoned the PML-N president. It too, said the two leaders discussed the appointment of members of the election commission and “agreed to proceed with consultations on the constitutional issue of appointment of members of the Election Commission”.

Two members of the ECP from Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa retired on July 26 and the discussions were centred on filling the two vacancies. Late last month, Prime Minister Imran Khan wrote to the opposition leader nominating three candidates for each of the two slots.

For Punjab, the Prime Minister nominated Ahsan Mehboob—a retired BS-22 officer from the Police Service, Raja Aamir Khan—an advocate at Supreme Court of Pakistan, and Syed Pervaiz Abbas—a retired BS-22 officer from Pakistan Administrative Service.

For Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Khan recommended retired justice Ikramullah Khan, Faridullah Khan—a retired BS-22 officer from Pakistan Administrative Service,

and Muzammil Khan, an advocate at Pakistan Supreme Court. The appointment of ECP members from Punjab and KP will be possible after the opposition’s response, information Fawad Chaudhry had said when he posted an image of the letter Khan wrote to Shahbaz.