Following the Supreme Court’s deadline to fill the post of the top election chiefwithin the next 24 hours, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah on Monday met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to discuss the name of a permanent head of the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Speaking to media representatives after a meeting with the premier, the leader of the opposition said a name for the post has not been finalised as yet, while also refusing to share names discussed during the meeting with the PM, fearing they might refuse to take up the post.
“If I tell you the names, respectable nominees will run away,” he said, adding, “We will meet again to discuss and finalise a name.”
The government and the opposition have been in a quandary over the appointment of the chief election commissioner as earlier their common nominees for the position, Justice (retd) Rana Bhagwan Das and Justice (retd) Tassaduq Hussain Jilani, declined the offer owing to widespread criticism of the post.
Further, sources said Jillani had refused to accept the post after Imran Khan voiced his reservation over the choice in a public rally in Rahim Yar Khan.
The CEC post had fallen vacant following the resignation of Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim on July 30, 2013 – a day after the presidential elections, which had become controversial after opposition parties blamed the ECP for failing to conduct them in an impartial manner.
However, he assured a name for the post will be finalised before December 5, the deadline from the Supreme Court to withdraw a top court judge who is acting as an interim chief election commissioner.
On November 24, directing the government to name a permanent head of before December 5, Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk withdrew the services of acting CEC Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and notified this to the ECP secretary, according to a declaration of the Supreme Court.
Justice Jamali is the third consecutive interim chief of the top polls body in less than one year. Before Justice Jamali, the incumbent chief justice, Justice Nasirul Mulk, and his predecessor, Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, had also served as acting CEC.
Shifting his focus to the current political crisis, Shah said he has urged the premier to initiate a dialogue with the protesting Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
Responding to a question regarding PTI chairman Imran Khan’s threat of a countrywide shutdown on December 16 if his longstanding demand for an independent audit of the May 2013 elections is not accepted, Shah said, “No one has the power to shut down my country.”
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