Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai has urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to immediately initiate the constitutional process for appointing a new chief election commissioner (CEC) and Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) members from Sindh and Balochistan.
In a letter dated August 10, Achakzai said the five-year constitutional terms of CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja and the ECP members from Sindh and Balochistan had expired on January 26, 2025.
He called for the “immediate filling” of the posts, saying the appointments were necessary to ensure the commission’s operational continuity, independence and credibility.
Citing Articles 213(2A) and 218(2)(b) of the Constitution, Achakzai said the prime minister was required to consult the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly before forwarding three candidates for consideration by the parliamentary committee. He said the same consultation procedure applied to the appointment of ECP members from each province.
The issue was also discussed at a TTAP meeting on Monday, according to a post on the alliance’s X account. The meeting expressed concern over the continued service of the CEC and two ECP members after the expiry of their constitutional terms.
It called for an impartial and independent Election Commission, saying it was essential for ensuring free, fair and transparent elections, and urged the prime minister to immediately consult the opposition leader and begin the appointment process.
The terms of the CEC and the Sindh and Balochistan ECP members expired on January 26, 2025. Under Article 215(4), their successors were required to be appointed within 45 days, by March 12, 2025.
However, a proviso added to Article 215(1) through the 26th Constitutional Amendment allows the CEC and ECP members to remain in office until their successors are appointed. The three officials are currently continuing under this provision.
The delay in initiating the appointment process was partly attributed to the absence of an officially notified opposition leader in the National Assembly at the time.
Meanwhile, the ECP on July 30 declined to recognise Achakzai as chairman of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), citing the party’s failure to hold intra-party elections.
