Sanjrani, Qaiser discuss row over appointment of ECP members.

Byline: Amir Wasim

ISLAMABAD -- Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani and National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser on Monday discussed the issue of appointment of members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and decided to call another meeting on Tuesday in the presence of the law minister and the attorney general.

The meeting was held at the Parliament House 'in the wake of the last month's order of the Islamabad High Court' regarding the controversial appointment of ECP members, said a handout issued by the National Assembly Secretariat.

It was 'resolved during the meeting that the issue in question would be discussed and determined in accordance with the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan and rules of procedure of parliamentary committees', added the handout.

It said the NA speaker and the Senate chairman had decided to meet again on Tuesday in the presence of federal Minister for Law and Justice Barrister Farogh Naseem, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Azam Khan Swati and Attorney General Anwar Mansoor Khan.

Sources said the law minister and the attorney general had been asked to suggest a way out to resolve the controversy that had been lingering on since the retirement of Abdul Ghaffar Soomro and retired Justice Shakeel Baloch, ECP members from Sindh and Balochistan, respectively, in January.

Agree to resolve matter in accordance with Constitution and rules of procedure

Under the law, their replacements were to be appointed within 45 days.

Under the Constitution, a consultation between the prime minister and the opposition leader is required for the appointment of ECP members as well as the chief election commissioner.

After failure of Prime Minister Imran Khan and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif to reach a consensus on the names, the matter was referred to the bi-partisan parliamentary committee on appointment of ECP members, but it also failed to reach a consensus.

President Alvi, using his 'discretionary power', then appointed Khalid Mehmood Siddiqui from Sindh and Munir Ahmed Kakar from Balochistan on Aug 22 against the two vacant positions, prompting a strong protest by opposition parties.

The controversy deepened when in an unprecedented move, CEC retired Justice Sardar Mohammad Raza refused to administer the oath to the two members, terming their appointments unconstitutional.

The president's act was challenged before the IHC by Nisar Ahmed Cheema and Murtaza Javed Abbasi, the two...