ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Speaker, Ayaz Sadiq, has dismissed Opposition Leader Omar Ayub’s request to establish a parliamentary committee responsible for the appointment of a new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and two Election Commission members. Sadiq emphasized that the process cannot move forward until the prime minister and opposition leader have completed their consultations.
In his official response, Sadiq stated, “The formation of the parliamentary committee is contingent upon prior consultation between the prime minister and the opposition leader, and this process is still underway.” He detailed that the committee’s formation will only proceed after both sides submit their recommended names following these discussions.
Earlier on Thursday, Omar Ayub formally urged the speaker to form a committee to begin the appointment process, proposing six opposition members—four from the National Assembly and two from the Senate. The nominees from the lower house included MNA Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, MNA Asad Qaiser, MNA Hamid Raza, and MNA Latif Khosa, while the Senate nominations featured Senator Shibli Faraz and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had initiated the consultation process earlier by sending a letter to Omar Ayub on May 16, inviting him to participate in talks about the appointments. Responding to Ayub’s request, Sadiq outlined the constitutional framework for forming the committee, confirming that discussions between the prime minister and opposition leader are ongoing and stressing that the committee will only be constituted once both parties agree on the nominees.
“If consensus is not reached between the prime minister and opposition leader, the matter will be referred to the NA speaker, who will then move to establish a parliamentary committee,” the letter clarified. The speaker will subsequently request parliamentary leaders to submit their nominations, which will be allocated proportionally based on party strength in the assembly.
It is important to note that the tenure of CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja expired on January 26, along with two other Election Commission members—Nisar Ahmad Durrani from Sindh and Shah Muhammad Jatoi from Balochistan. The appointment process is governed by Article 213 of the Constitution, which mandates that the prime minister and opposition leader submit three names each to the president by consensus.
In cases where consensus cannot be reached, the prime minister and opposition leader are to send their individual nominations to the parliamentary committee, which will be formed by the NA speaker, consisting of 12 members equally representing the treasury and opposition benches. This committee will recommend one name to the president for final approval.
According to Article 217, once the CEC’s term ends, the most senior member of the Election Commission assumes the responsibilities of the chief election commissioner. If the CEC position becomes vacant or the senior member is absent, the next senior member will serve as acting CEC. The terms for the other two members of the Election Commission—Babar Hassan Bharwana from Punjab, ending on May 29, 2027, and Justice (retd) Ikramullah Khan from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, ending on May 31, 2027—are still ongoing.
Despite the constitutional provisions, political polarization has prevented any recent contact between the prime minister and opposition leader regarding new appointment names. The PTI has already challenged the delay in court, filing petitions with the Islamabad High Court in March, with Omar Ayub and Senate Opposition Leader Shibli Faraz questioning the slow process of appointing a new CEC.The petition names the federal government, the Senate chairman, the National Assembly speaker, and the Election Commission as respondents
