The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) once again urged the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government on Sunday to immediately begin the process of appointing the new chief election commissioner (CEC), instead of hiding behind a constitutional tweak – 26th amendment – as a pretext to delay the much-needed appointment.
A week after incumbent CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja's tenure ended, the PTI has called on the government to swiftly constitute a parliamentary panel to fill the key constitutional positions of CEC as well as the members for Sindh and Balochistan through a transparent and consultative process mandated by the Constitution.
The opposition party's second reminder in two weeks about initiating process of appointing new CEC has come as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has kept a mum on the letters of opposition leaders in National Assembly and Senate, urging the premier for the immediate appointment of a new CEC.
"Sikandar Sultan Raja, whose term as CEC ended on January 26, 2025, was the most contentious figure in Pakistan's electoral history," PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said, "the massively rigged February 8 polls would remain a permanent stain and stigma on his face, forever tarnishing his legacy."
Raja's term expired on January 26 but he can continue to perform his duties until a new appointment is made under the 26th Amendment of the Constitution. On delay, the PTI information secretary warned the government against further undermining the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Waqas added the government was hell-bent on damaging all state institutions to safeguard its own vested interests. He called for the appointment of a credible, impeccable and impartial individual as the CEC forthwith to restore the rapidly declining prestige of this vital constitutional body.
PTI leader emphasized that those who allegedly stole the public mandate have systematically undermined all state institutions by enacting self-serving constitutional amendments to install loyalists and contentious figures in high-ranking positions, enabling them to perpetuate their unauthorized rule and evade accountability.
As PTI is gearing up for recording its protest on February 8, Waqas said that the people would not rest until they reclaim their "stolen mandate" and hold accountable those responsible for the polls fraud, including the perpetrators, facilitators and beneficiaries.
He emphasized that the Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Omar Ayub and the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Shibli Faraz had already written letters to the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Chairman of the Senate, respectively, for the immediate appointment of a new CEC but to no avail.
He urged the government to "avoid the dillydallying tactics and constitute a parliamentary panel without any further delay to oversee these important appointments", as stipulated in Article 213 of the Constitution.
Waqas made it clear that "PTI would not allow the power grabbers to retain the current highly controversial CEC in this esteemed position anymore or replace him with someone biased and blue-eyed, come what may." He vowed PTI would leave no stone unturned to ensure the appointment of most credible person on the august position to revitalize the credibility of the electoral watchdog.
PTI asserted that the public had already delivered an unambiguous verdict on February 8 even in the face of coercion and intimidation, and a sea of people would once again emerge on February 8, 2025, across the country to ensure their decision is implemented in its true letter and spirit.
Last week, PTI had also urged that the government should immediately and transparently appoint an honest, unbiased and neutral CEC in consultation with PTI to revitalise the electoral watchdog and ensure continuity of democratic processes.
PTI has had a rocky relationship with the ECP under Raja's leadership, marked by legal challenges and public disputes. Tensions peaked during the 2024 general elections, where PTI alleged widespread rigging and vote tampering after the ECP-led litigation stripped the party of its iconic election symbol the cricket bat.
The party has repeatedly accused Raja of delaying election results and tampering with vote counts, allegations that the ECP has consistently denied. PTI has also called for Raja's resignation, claiming that his actions have eroded confidence in the ECP's ability to conduct fair elections.
Under Raja's tenure, several key electoral issues remained unresolved, including the postponement of Senate elections for 11 seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the allocation of reserved seats due to a standoff between the Supreme Court and Parliament, and delays in local government elections in Punjab and Islamabad.Federal Minister for Information & Broadcasting Ata Tarar was approached for comments but his reply didn't come till the filing of the story.
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