Strife between govt and opposition put appointment of ECP members in limbo
The ECP had written a letter to the government for the designation of new members till March 13.
ISLAMABAD: Recent strife between the federal government and the opposition over certain issues has resulted in missing the constitutional deadline of 45 days for the appointment of two members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the mandatory process for consultation between the prime minister and the opposition leader.
The ECP had written a letter to the federal government for the designation of new members till March 13 while the body has been incomplete for six weeks after its members from Sindh and Balochistan retired on Jan 26.
The appointments should be made from Sindh and Balochistan within 45 days of the retirements.
The Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and the opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif were required to recommend three names for representation of each province in the ECP.
The Parliamentary Committee would then be able select members from six candidates proposed by them.
Article 215 (4) inserted in the Constitution through the 22nd Amendment reads: “Vacancy in the office of the commissioner or a member shall be filled within 45 days.”
