ISLAMABAD: Voicing concerns over certain names suggested for the post of chief election commissioner (CEC), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Friday that some of the nominees have political affiliations and that his party would protest if they are appointed.
Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah met Qureshi to discuss the appointment of new CEC. The Supreme Court has fixed November 16 as the deadline to fill the vacant post.
Addressing the media after consulting Qureshi, Shah said he does not want the appointment of CEC to be controversial, which is why he was meeting leaders of political parties to reach a consensus.
“Both of us (the PPP and the PTI) believe last year’s elections were not fair and we want to make the ECP an independent and impartial institution,” he said.
Reiterating PTI’s stance on 2013 general elections, Qureshi said the current election commission was controversial and not acceptable to the PTI.
“The ECP should have officials with spotless characters; with this appointment, we are laying the foundation for a better poll body,” he said.
Defending PTI’s nomination of Justice (retd) Nasir Aslam Zahid for the post, Qureshi said Zahid has an untarnished career and no one can point a finger at him.
“Zahid can never be pressurised by anyone; we think by appointing him as CEC, we will be doing a great service to Pakistan,” Qureshi added.
Nominees
Officials confirmed that Prime Minister Nawaz suggested the names of retired Supreme Court judges Tassaduq Hussain Jilani, Rana Bhagwandas and Saeeduz Zaman Siddiqui for the post. The opposition leader, on the other hand, proposed only two names: Justice (retd) Mian Ajmal and Justice (retd) Tariq Pervez.
The PTI had proposed that Justice (retd) Nasir Aslam Zahid should be included in the list of candidates for CEC.
Since August last year, 13 Supreme Court judges have served as acting CECs. The apex court, in its last hearing pertaining to the matter, asked the government to appoint a permanent CEC; otherwise, they would withdraw their judge from performing as acting CEC.
If both the prime minister and opposition leader fail to agree on one name then article 213 is applicable, which states both shall send three names each to a parliamentary committee for the appointment of the CEC.
COMMENTS (19)
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I do not know the background of this protest. However I do know this. Independent EC is the first step towards building a democracy. The EC continues to be one of the institutions of highest respect in india. Almost any Indian will vouch for it. The ability to use CRPF in elections have slowly but surely moved India's elections to become a fair and transparent process. Go for it Pakistan. Keep your EC above politicking.
PTI wants election rigging probe to be also conducted by Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid(Express News 6 Nov headline) and now they want to make him Chief Election commissioner as well.. Clearly they have high expectation from him.
@ObserverUSA - Even criminals deserve a fair trial. And just because a lawyer defends a criminal, doesn't mean that they lack integrity. It's part of their job.
Ridiculing Imran or PTI will not stop the change that has started already! Status quo can make fun of him, this will make his stance more stronger.
Election commissioner should unbiased not necessarily a retired judge! Anyone remember Fakhru bhai?
I and a lot of other thinking people need someone to enlighten us about the following: No Judge attains the position as Judge unless he has served a certain time as a lawyer. For some positions in the judiciary, the time of experience required as an attorney to become a Justice is fifteen years, if I am not wrong. During these times, many lawyers defend criminals, knowing well about their crimes. And, yet they become Judges. So how can we trust the Justices to have an honest and impeccable integrity?
@Saima: "Can somebody throw light on as to how PTI can give names when they are poised to resign and call the system rotten?" Yes, they can. They are playing politics of coercion and intimidation. Let their nominee Nasir Aslam Zahid be appointed or Bhagwandas, as the latter has strong PPP support and is also accepted by PTI as a "compromise" candidate. PML-N should not make this controversial as no matter who is appointed CEC, the party performing the best at polls will win. Some losers would still object to the results regardless and this is likely to cause a CEC nominee to be reluctant to accept the post. Sad.
Can somebody throw light on as to how PTI can give names when they are poised to resign and call the system rotten? In Punjabi they saw ” chuprian thee do” ie you want paratha and that too two. The whole exercise of dharnas and protest is in essence full of contradictions….and aimed and short cut to power.. I am so scared. What else is new? There last Dharna is quite poorly attended despite the music of DJ butt. Lets see what they will do this time to disrupt the Pakistani economy and life. Can somebody throw light on as to how PTI can give names when they are poised to resign and call the system rotten? In Punjabi they saw ” chuprian thee do” ie you want paratha and that too two. The whole exercise of dharnas and protest is in essence full of contradictions….and aimed and short cut to power.. I am so scared. What else is new? There last Dharna is quite poorly attended despite the music of DJ butt. Lets see what they will do this time to disrupt the Pakistani economy and life.
Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid has PTI affiliation. But Bhagwandas is accepted by PTI. It might be best to appoint the latter as neither PTI, nor PPP, nor any other party is likely to object. If neither is appointed, I see political turmoil, which is best avoided.
As usual, Shah Mahmmod Qureshi's stance is full of self-contradictions... He meets the Opposition Leader of the rigged Assembly (as alleged by PTI & Dharna Khan). He threatens not to accept CEC with political affiliations, but nominates Nasir Aslam Zahid whom PTI had nominated as its candidate in the Presidential election of 2013. These guys simply want to stay in the media limelight and therefore take millions of U-Turns!
Fakhruddin Ibrahim was ever accused of corruption. My point being that you dont have to have sadhus but people with a proven track record of delivering..
The person nominated by PTI will regret rest of his life. Imran has habit of back stabbing his friends and well wishers.
..and they'll stop protesting if CEC is of their choice? That threat lost its efficacy long ago.
@Gulkhaiz:
Dumb...PTI is being consulted as one of opposition party not as Parliamentary party....
Names can be proposed by any registered political party despite the fact that they have national assembly presence or not.. illiterates
OOOhhh PTI will protest CEC nomination. I am so scared. What else is new? There last Dharna is quite poorly attended despite the music of DJ butt. Lets see what they will do this time to disrupt the Pakistani economy and life.
yaar all know that PTI is Staging dharnas against Rigged Elections why they wouldn't protest on favored CEC??? Very simple in assembly or no assembly member this protest has to go!!!!
Nation has given PTI mandate to continue to take part in national politics.
Even in the rigged votes of 2013, PTI secured the second highest votes.
Status quo is doomed to be wiped out......
Stay blessed.
Can somebody thow light on as to how PTI can give names when they are poised to resign and call the system rotten? In Punjabi they saw " chuprian thee do" ie you want paratha and that too two. The whole exercise of dharnas and protest is in essence full of contradictions....and aimed and short cut to power..
Thought Shah Mehmood Qureshi resigned as an MNA. So why is he discussing matters of state? Unless of course his resignation was forced by Imran Khan.