ISLAMABAD: As the stage is set for the retirement of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja, the opposition leader in National Assembly, Omar Ayub wrote a letter to National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq on Wednesday, urging no delay in the appointment of a new CEC.
The incumbent CEC’s five-year tenure is set to expire on January 26, initiating a critical transition within the top electoral body amid a political impasse in the country that may jeopardise the timely appointment of his successor.
Ayub urged the NA Speaker to gear up the efforts for the appointment of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)’s members from Sindh and Balochistan, as the tenures of the duo are also going to expire on January 26.
In his letter to the NA Speaker, he called for formation of a parliamentary committee as soon as possible to initiate the appointment process for a new CEC.
He said that the parliamentary committee is essential to initiate the process of the new CEC’s selection, where there should be no delay under any circumstances.
At the same time, the opposition leader in Senate, Shibli Faraz, also sent a missive to Chairman Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, emphasising the need for the formation of a parliamentary committee for the appointment of a new CEC and to fill slots of the two members from Sindh and Balochistan who are going to retire along with the outgoing CEC.
In his letter, he said that under Article 215 of the Constitution, Raja’s term as CEC will conclude on January 26.
Faraz said that ECP members from Sindh and Balochistan are also scheduled to retire on January 26, which requires formation of a parliamentary committee to meet the constitutional obligation outlined in Article 213.
The sources within PTI said that the party would not accept any delay in the selection of a new CEC.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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