Parliamentary panel finalises nominations for ECP members

Irshad Qaiser, Shakeel Baloch, Altaf Qureshi, Ghaffar Soomro named for K-P, Balochistan, Punjab and Sindh respectively

A parliamentary committee has finalised four names for appointment as members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Speaking to the media on Monday, Federal Minister for Information Pervez Rashid said the parliamentary committee formed to appoint the chief election commissioner and ECP members has approved the names of Justice (retd) Irshad Qaiser, Justice (retd) Shakeel Baloch, Justice (retd) Altaf Ibrahim Qureshi and Abdul Ghaffar Soomro for K-P, Balochistan, Punjab and Sindh respectively.



Awami National Party (ANP) abstained from voting on the appointments while Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) abstained from voting on the ECP posts for Punjab and K-P, Rashid added.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court (SC) had directed the government to appoint ECP personnel to the vacant posts within the stipulated period of 45 days.

Last week, top representatives of the government and the opposition had agreed to appoint the members of the ECP by July 25 — when the constitutional timeframe of 45 days expires.

The bench had taken a suo motu notice of the top electoral body becoming non-functional since the commission was unable to perform duties assigned to it under the Constitution and the electoral laws because of completion of the term of four of its members.



Four ECP members retired on June 12 and the law requires appointment of their successors within 45 days of their retirement.