ISLAMABAD – The Chief Election Commissioner, retired Justice Sardar Mohammad Raza refused to administer the oath to newly appointed members of the Election Commission of Pakistan on Friday.
A day earlier, President Arif Alvi had appointed Khalid Mahmood Siddiqui and Munir Ahmad Khan Kakar as ECP members from Sindh and Balochistan, respectively.
However, the commissioner formally informed the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs about his refusal while citing a violation of Article 213 and 214 of the Constitution in the process of the two appointments.
Reacting to the decision, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Azam Khan Swati said the government followed due process while making the appointments.
He elaborated that the government was mulling over the decision made by CEC, assuring that the process of appointment would be completed.
‘Thoroughly reviewing the decision [of Chief Election Commissioner] as well as its impacts,’ he said.
Despite multiple exchanges, the government and opposition were not able to end the deadlock over the appointment of ECP members after two of them retired this year.
The ECP members from Sindh and Balochistan — Abdul Ghaffar Soomro and retired Justice Shakeel Baloch — had retired in January and it was mandatory that the positions be filled within 45 days.
