Achakzai pushes PM on new ECP appointments
A photo of Opposition Leader and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai. SCREENGRAB
Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Mahmood Khan Achakzai on Monday formally wrote a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urging him to initiate the constitutional process for appointing a new chief election commissioner (CEC) and members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
"Article 213(2A) mandates that the prime minister, in consultation with the leader of the opposition in the NA, shall forward three names for the appointment of the chief election commissioner to a Parliamentary Committee for hearing and confirmation. Meanwhile, Article 218(2)(b) mandates that the appointment of ECP members from each province shall follow the same procedural requirement of consultation between the prime minister and the leader of the opposition under Article 213," Achakzai stated in his letter to the premier.
The chief of the opposition coalition alliance Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen Pakistan (TTAP) further said that the statutory tenures of the CEC, as well as the ECP members representing Sindh and Balochistan, had expired on January 26, 2025.
"Ensuring the immediate filling of these key constitutional offices is essential for maintaining the operational continuity, independence and credibility of the commission," he said.
He added that he would appreciate a meeting with the prime minister at the earliest convenience to finalise the nominations.
According to a statement issued by the TTAP on X, the alliance also held a high-level meeting chaired by Achakzai. The meeting was attended by Senator Allama Nasir Abbas, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, former senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, Hussain Ahmed Yousafzai and Khalid Yousaf Chaudhry.
"The meeting discussed the country's political and constitutional situation, economic and security crises, and other national issues, while the participants expressed concern over what they described as the government's failure to adequately address the country's political, economic and security challenges," the statement said.