ECP, others served notices in new members’ appointment issue

IHC top judge says Parliament forum for such matters

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday sought reply from respondents in a case challenging the appointment of two new members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Those summoned include Attorney General Anwar Mansoor as well as the secretaries of the president, prime minister, parliamentary affairs ministry and the ECP as well as the two new members.

In the written order, the court has also sought para-wise comments and reports.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah conducted the hearing on a petition filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahnawaz Ranjha through lawyer Jahangir Jadoon.

The petition contends that the Constitution was violated in the appointment of the two new members of ECP.

The chief justice remarked that such a matter should be raised in the Parliament instead of dragging it in the court.

The parliamentary affairs ministry had notified the appointments of Khalid Mehmood Siddiqui from Sindh and Munir Ahmed Khan Kakar as a member from Balochistan last week in line with a presidential order, which had provoked the opposition. Previously, the March deadline for the appointment had been missed after Prime Minister Imran Khan and Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif failed to reach consensus on the candidate.

During the hearing on Wednesday, the petitioner prayed the court to set aside the appointment notification and also requested to stop the new members from taking oath.

Justice Minallah inquired from the petitioner whether the opposition had moved any resolution in the Parliament against this move. He asked whether the opposition had challenged this appointment at any forum.

“May be the opposition parties are satisfied with the decision if they have not challenged it,” remarked the judge. He added that the opposition should raise objection in the House against the decision.

Jadoon argued that all opposition parties had objections over new appointments in ECP.

PML-N Ranjha adopted the stance that there was no forum other than this court after the issuance of notification, with which the IHC top judge respectfully disagreed.