ISLAMABAD: Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja and two ECP members would see the completion of their five-year terms Sunday (Jan 26) – but they would continue to hold the offices till their respective successors are in place.
The CEC, and the two members of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)—Nisar Ahmed Durrani (Sindh) and Shah Muhammad Jatoi (Balochistan)—had entered their offices on 27 January 2019.
They would retire following the completion of their respective terms today midnight. But, following an amendment in Article 215(1) in the Controversial 26th Amendment, last October, the three ECP officials would be able to continue to hold the official positions till their replacements are in place.
The five-year terms of the remaining two ECP members— Babar Hassan Bhawarana (Punjab) and Justice ® Ikramullah Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)— would end on 31 May 2027.
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The ECP, under its present management, has faced massive public criticism over the electoral body’s alleged failure in tackling crucial electoral matters, especially those concerning Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
The terms of the three top ECP officials complete at a time when the electoral body stands failed, so far, to hold local government elections in Pakistan’s largest province of Punjab, and Islamabad, the federal capital. Also, the ECP is yet to hold elections on 11 seats of KP in the Senate. The poll body has remained under public’s ire for non-allotment of reserved seats to the PTI in the assemblies despite been ordered otherwise by the Supreme Court in July last year.
Furthermore, the Commission’s decision to nullify the PTI intra-party election results thrice, and deny it the electoral symbol of bat in 8 February general polls from last year, have also resulted in the poll body to be at the centre stage of controversies.
Apart from that, the ECP’s alleged role regarding the reversal of the legislations on the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in general elections and grant of voting right to overseas Pakistanis have largely affected the ECP’s reputation as a body capable of holding free and fair polls.
More importantly, the allegedly unprecedented rigging in last year’s general elections have resulted in a barrage of criticism on the ECP, not only from within the country, but also from abroad.
It merits mentioning here that on the night of 8 February 2024, when the results of the general polls were being announced, the PTI-backed candidates were reportedly leading the poll charts with heavy margins against their respective electoral rivals in different constituencies across the country when the ECP’s much-hyped Election Management System (EMS) suddenly broke down— and the poll body stopped the announcement of results. Several hours later, when the EMS was restored, the PTI-candidates lost the polls, as per the ECP results.
The ECP is since under fire from public and political circles, as well as international stakeholders over allegedly massive rigging in the general polls. Several mainstream political parties and international observers have demanded a comprehensive audit of these elections. The ECP has rejected the poll rigging allegations.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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