(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) PTI not consulted in the process says Mazari googletag.
Islamabad: A 12-member parliamentary committee on Thursday recommended the name of Justice Sardar Raza Khan for the post of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).
The committee headed by Senator Rafiq Rajwana picked Sardar Raza out of a panel of three names earlier chosen by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah.
Senator Rajwana said Sardar Raza’s name enjoyed the consensus of all major political parties including the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) of Imran Khan. The office fell vacant following resignation by Justice Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim in July last year.
The Supreme Court which had been extending deadlines in the past for filling the office last week warned it would withdraw present acting CEC Justice Jamali and issue contempt notices to the premier and the opposition leader if no appointment was made by December 5.
Sharif will now send Raza’s name to the President for final approval.
Sardar Raza is currently Chief Justice of the Shariah Appellate Court.
Meanwhile Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf Central Information Secretary Shireen Mazari on Thursday said that her party was not consulted in the process of appointment of Sardar Raza Khan as the new Chief Election Commissioner. In a Press statement issued on Thursday Mazari said “We hold Sardar Raza in high esteem and he has an unblemished record.
“However we were not consulted in this process. We were merely informed at the last minute by the Opposition Leader Khurshid Shah through PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
She said that the PTI feels the appointment of the CEC is insufficient in itself to establish the independence of the election commission as the CEC is merely one amongst five commissioners.
“We expect that the new CEC will remove controversial members of the commission and ensure all the commissioners are appointed in an independent manner through mutual consultation amongst all major political parties. We also hope the ECP is reformed so that it is a truly independent body with punitive powers” she said.
newskhaleejtimes.com
(With inputs from Online)
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