CEC appointment: PM Nawaz, Shah shortlist 4 names as SC threatens to issue contempt notices

Acting CEC Justice Jamali will stop working as the CEC head on Dec 5

ISLAMABAD: As Supreme Court considers to issue contempt notices to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Khurshid Shah for failing to appoint a new chief election commissioner (CEC), the two leaders shortlisted four names for the vacant post, sources told Express News on Tuesday.

Justice (retired) Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan, Shakirullah Jan, Tariq Pervez Khan and Mian Mohammad Ajmal are the four candidates under consideration for the CEC post.

Names of Tassaduq Hussain Jillani and Rana Bhagwandas were excluded from the list after both rejected the nomination, while Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf nominee Nasir Aslam Zahid was also dropped from the list.

PM Nawaz, who has left for London to attend a conference on Afghanistan, will be in contact with Shah over the phone.

Earlier in the morning, Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk said the top court will consider issuing contempt of court notices to the premier and Shah if they fail to appoint a new chief of the poll body by December 8.

The CEC post fell vacant following the resignation of (retd) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim on July 30, 2013 and apex court judge Justice Anwar Jamali is currently heading the poll body as its acting chief. Jamali, as per a previous court order, will stop working as interim CEC on December 5.

During the hearing of a case related to the appointment today, Attorney General of Pakistan Salman Butt assured the bench that the government and opposition will appoint a new CEC by December 8.

Appointment to the post have been delayed as PM Nawaz and Shah fail to agree on a candidate. Despite having several discussions, no name has yet been finalised.