Retirement: Last day of four ECP members in office

Four retired judges from respective high courts were appointed for five years in 2011

ISLAMABAD: Four members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will have their last day in office on Friday (today).

The retiring members are Justice (retd) Roshan Esani from Sindh, Justice (retd) Riaz Kiyani from Punjab, Justice (retd) Fazlur Rehman from Balochistan and Justice (retd) Shahzad Akbar Khan from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

The four retired judges of high courts of their respective provinces were appointed on June 12, 2011 for a non-extendable term of five years and will retire on Monday, June 13.

After the 18th Constitutional Amendment, retired judges were appointed as members of ECP. Earlier, serving judges of high courts were taken as members. The amendment had also curtailed the powers of chief election commissioner and devolved them to ECP as a whole — the CEC and four members.

The election commission appointed through the 18th Amendment organised the 2013 general elections. After elections some political parties, especially PTI and PPP questioned credibility and impartiality of ECP.

Then CEC Justice (retd) Fakharuddin G Ebrahim resigned few months after the elections, however the four members opted to stay till completion of their tenure which has ended now.

The parliament last month passed the 22nd Amendment and changed eligibility criterion for the office of CEC and members of ECP. Although, the date of the retirement of ECP members has approached, the government has not planned their replacement.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10^th, 2016.