Four ECP members to retire on June 13 but no consultations yet over new appointments

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Four members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will retire on June 13 at the expiry of their tenure; however, the government and the opposition have not yet started the consultation process for appointment of new ECP members. 

Talking to the state-run news agency, the Additional Director General Public Relations of the ECP Suraya Jamal said that the retiring members included Justice (retd) Roshan Esani (Sindh), Justice (retd) Riaz Kiyani (Punjab), Justice (retd) Fazal-ur-Rehman (Balochistan) and Justice (retd) Shahzad Akbar Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa).

The date of retirement of ECP members is approaching fast but the consultations between the government and the opposition for the appointment of the new ones have not yet started.

Suraya Jammal said that out the four new members to be appointed now, two would retire after two and a half years while the rest would complete five-year tenure. This procedure would be adopted to ensure that all posts of the ECP members do not fall vacant at same time in future.

As per Article 13 A and B of the Constitution, the prime minister is bound to send three names from each province to a 12-member parliamentary committee, which will pick one name for appointment as ECP member from the respective province.

The parliamentary committee must have equal representation of opposition and government legislators – eight members of the National Assembly and four Senators.

It may be mentioned that the retiring members were appointed ECP in June 2011 for a five-year term after consultations between the government and the opposition parties, according to the procedure as per 18th Constitutional Amendment.