CEC Appointment: Opposition files plea in SC, seeks court's guidance

ISLAMABAD: The opposition parties have filed a petition in Supreme Court regarding nomination of the new chief election commissioner (CEC), ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The petition signed by 11 members from the joint opposition has been submitted in the apex court and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the federal government have made party in the plea.

“Incumbent chief election commissioner (CEC) Justice (Retd) Sardar Raza will retire on December 06,” the petition read.

After his retirement the election commission will become dysfunctional, the petition said.

Article 213 has been silent in case the bipartisan parliamentary committee fails to reach an agreement, it said. The silence of the Article 213 over the situation will create a constitutional crisis, according to the petition.

“The Supreme Court is the only path in case of lack of agreement within the parliamentary panel,” the opposition petition further said.

According to the plea, remaining two members of the election commission will also be retired in coming January.

The petitioners have pleaded to the apex court to take an appropriate decision over the matter to thwart a likely constitutional crisis in the country.

However, there is no movement forward on the nomination of the new chief election commissioner (CEC) as the incumbent Justice (R) Sardar Raza retires tomorrow.

It is pertinent to mention here that the meeting of a bipartisan parliamentary panel ended today without reaching to a decision about appointment of two members of the election commission from Sindh and Balochistan.

A government member of the panel, Shireen Mazari, has said that the matter will be decided along with nomination of the new CEC after retirement of the incumbent chief election commissioner.