ISLAMABAD: Speaker of the National Assembly, Ayaz Sadiq, has declined the opposition leader Omar Ayub’s request to form a parliamentary committee for the nomination of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and two members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
In a letter responding to Ayub’s request, Sadiq stated that the parliamentary committee for the CEC nominations can only be formed after consultations between the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, followed by the referral of proposed names to the assembly.
Omar Ayub had previously written to the Speaker, demanding the formation of such a committee for the nomination process. This comes after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif invited Ayub earlier this month to discuss the ECP nominations.
The term of the current CEC, Sikandar Sultan Raja, and two ECP members ended on January 26. However, Raja and the members have continued their work under Article 215 of the constitution, which allows them to serve until a new appointment is made.
According to election laws, a new CEC must be appointed within 45 days. The Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader are expected to agree on three names for the position of CEC, which will then be sent to the parliamentary committee for final selection.
If no consensus is reached, both the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader will send three names each for consideration by the committee, which will make the final decision.
