Parliamentary panel mulls filling ECP vacancies from Sindh, Balochistan

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee, comprises of the members of the opposition and government discussed appointment of the the election commission members from Sindh and Balochistan, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The two sides exchanged their names for appointment as members of ECP in the meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr. Shireen Mazari.

The government and opposition proposed six names to fill the two vacancies in the election commission.

The committee will meet again on June 19 to further deliberate over the matter.

The opposition recommended names of senior lawyer Khalid Javed, Justice (retd) Abdul Rasul Memon and Justice (retd) Noorul Haq Qureshi for the ECP member from Sindh.

The opposition leader recommended Salahuddin Mengal, Shah Muhammad Jatoi and Abdul Rauf Atta for the election commission member from Balochistan.

Meanwhile, the government has proposed its three names for the election commission member from Balochistan including Muneer Kakar, Amanullah Baloch and Mir Naveed Baloch.

While the names suggested for the ECP member from Sindh are Khalid Mehmood Siddiqui, Justice (retd) Farrukh Zia Shaikh and Iqbal Mehmood.

The parliamentary panel will shortlist these names in its next meeting.

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif had sent revised names to Prime Minister Imran Khan for appointing the members of the election commission on Tuesday.

The ECP comprises a Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and four members — one from each province, under the Constitution.

According to Article-215 (4) of the Constitution a vacancy in the office of the commissioner or a member shall be filled within 45 days.

The ECP was incomplete after its members from Sindh and Balochistan retired on January 26.

Under Articles-213 and 218, the prime minister in discussion with the opposition leader forwards three names for the appointment of a CEC or commission member to a parliamentary committee for confirmation of one of them.

In case, lack of consensus between the premier and the opposition leader, the law allows the two to forward separate lists to the parliamentary committee for the hearing and finalizing the names.