ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The former Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani has also excused from becoming the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) following Justice (retd) Rana Bhagwandas who earlier also refused to lead the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The federal government and the opposition had reached consensus on the name of former chief justice and contacted him to accept the post. However, he excused from taking charge as the new ECP head.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had opposed the appointment of Tassaduq Hussain Jillani for the CEC, stating that he was not impartial.
The PTI chairman Imran Khan while addressing a large public gathering in Rahimyar Khan on Sunday rejected the nomination of the former chief justice and urged Justice Jillani to turn down the offer himself.
The PTI had suggested the name of Justice (retd) Nasir Aslam Zahid for the post of chief election commissioner but the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had refused to favour him for the post.
Justice (retd) Tassaduq Hussain Jillani and Justice (retd) Tariq Pervez had emerged as the main contenders for the post of the ECP head in the wake of consultations carried out by both the government and the opposition.
Earlier on November 8, following the agreement on the name of Justice (retd) Rana Bhagwandas between the government and the opposition for the new CEC, the PPP senior leader Raza Rabbani held a meeting with Bhagwandas in Karachi to convince him to accept the post. But Bhagwandas thanked the two parties and excused from taking charge as the CEC, citing personal reasons.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Supreme Court of Pakistan has given the stakeholders November 13 as deadline to complete consultation and appoint the new CEC, a post that has been vacant since August last year as Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim voluntarily resigned at that time from the post.
