Delay in ECP appointments challenged in IHC

The opposition leaders in the National Assembly and the Senate moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against delay in the appointment of the new chief election commissioner (CEC) and two members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz requested the court to instruct the federal government to initiate the process of meaningful consultation with the opposition for the appointments of the new CEC, and two ECP members.

Current CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja and ECP member Sindh and ECP member Balochistan completed their terms in office recently. The petition in the IHC stated that the court should stop them from continuing in the office.

Ayub, the National Assembly opposition leader, and Faraz, the Senate opposition leader, said that the Constitution was being violated by delaying these appointments, as the prime minister, the National Assembly speaker, and the Senate chairman had failed to fulfil their constitutional responsibilities.

The petition requested the court to instruct the speaker to form a parliamentary committee, direct the chairman to send the names of the members of the Senators to the speaker, and order the prime minister to hold consultations with the leader of the opposition under Article 213 of the Constitution.