Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai have been in contact over the appointment of a new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and two members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
According to sources, the prime minister has sent a response to Achakzai’s letter, assuring him that the appointments of all three officials will be made in accordance with the constitutional procedure.
Sources said the letter sent by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif regarding the appointment of ECP members has been received by Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai.
The prime minister, according to sources, assured Achakzai in his letter that the constitutional procedure would be followed. Achakzai is currently in Quetta and is expected to reach Islamabad within the next two to three days.
According to sources, the opposition leader will consult the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on the prime minister’s letter and will also take Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Raja Nasir Abbas into confidence.
Consultation between the prime minister and the opposition leader is required for the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other ECP members.
If the prime minister and opposition leader agree on a name, the proposed names are sent to the parliamentary committee for approval.
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However, in the event of a lack of consensus, both sides submit three names for each position to the parliamentary committee, which makes the final decision.
The five-year terms of incumbent Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, ECP member from Sindh Nisar Durrani and ECP member from Balochistan Shah Muhammad Jatoi ended on January 26, 2025.
Following the completion of their terms, Article 215(4) of the Constitution required the appointments of the Chief Election Commissioner and ECP members to be completed within 45 days.
However, despite the constitutional deadline passing on March 12, 2025, new appointments to the three positions were not made.
As a result of the 26th Constitutional Amendment passed in October last year, the Chief Election Commissioner and other members were allowed to remain in office until the appointment of their successors.
The eligibility criteria for the position of Chief Election Commissioner include former Supreme Court judges, technocrats and bureaucrats below the age of 68.
Similarly, for ECP membership, names of retired High Court judges, bureaucrats and technocrats below the age of 65 can be considered.
