SC returns opposition petition on appointment of CEC, ECP members

Islamabad: The Supreme Court office has returned a petition of the opposition’s Rehbar Committee moved to seek an order for the appointment of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and two members of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The court office returned the petition by raising objections that Rehbar Committee has not moved to the concerned forum on the matter which cannot be heard directly by the Supreme Court. It was also stated that the certificate provided with the petition did not meet the legal requirements.

Earlier on January 1, the Supreme Court was moved against the government’s possible move to bring in a presidential ordinance to amend rules of the parliamentary panel tasked with deciding nominees for the posts of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and two members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

A petition moved in the apex court states that the government wants to appoint CEC and two members from Sindh and Balochistan of its choice by way of amending rules of the panel, which now require a two-thirds majority for the purpose.

It submitted that the government is trying to replace the word “two-thirds majority” with “simple majority”, which it said would be a violation of Article 213 and 218 of the country’s Constitution.

The federal government, the ECP secretary, and the Ministry of Law have been impleaded as respondents in the petition that requests the top court to restrain the government from amending the rules.