Decision on key ECP appointments expected today.

Byline: Iftikhar A. Khan

ISLAMABAD -- Days after Prime Minister Imran Khan sent a fresh list of three nominees for the vacant position of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) to Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif, the latter sent a slightly amended list of the opposition's nominees to the former.

The only amendment in the opposition's list of three nominees is the addition of former attorney general Irfan Qadir in place of former foreign secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani. The other two names continue to be the same - Nasir Mehmood Khosa, brother of former chief justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khosa, and Akhlaq Ahmed Tarar, a former federal secretary.

'It is unfortunate that the process which I had initiated on 25th of September 2019, fulfilling my duty/responsibility under Article 213 (2-A) of the Constitution has been subject to unnecessary, inordinate delays and a consensus has not yet been reached. While the revised panel proposed by you [...] is under consideration, in the meantime I would request you to consider the following list of nominees, which have been revised keeping in view changes in the status of the original nominees since the consultation process started,' reads the opposition leader's letter to the PM, a copy of which is available with Dawn.

Shahbaz sends amended list of nominees for chief election commissioner to PM

The opposition leader has suggested to the prime minister to proceed in accordance with the binding judgements of the Supreme Court mentioned in his previous letters regarding appointment of ECP members.

The parliamentary committee on appointment of ECP members met here on Monday and the amended list of the opposition's nominees received from London was shared with its members. The committee will meet again on Tuesday (today) to finalise the decision on the CEC's appointment.

'We have reached close to a consensus,' a member of the parliamentary...

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