Dar, Shah discuss appointment of chief election commissioner

ISLAMABAD: Key government minister Ishaq Dar met with opposition leader in the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah at the latter’s chamber in connection with consultation for the appointment of the chief election commissioner (CEC). Currently, the post is being manned by an acting CEC, the latest appointment to the task being that of Supreme Court judge Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali. Previously, Justice (retd) Tassadduq Hussain Jillani and Justice Nasirul Mulk served as acting CEC. The apex court judges were tasked with the job following the resignation of former CEC Fakharuddin Ibrahim who quit following last year’s general elections. Under the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, it is binding upon the government to consult the opposition over the appointment of a CEC. Today’s meeting between Finance Minister Dar and PPP leader Shah is a follow-up of the letter written by the opposition leader to the prime minister on June 25, 2014. In the letter, the opposition leader had stated that Ibrahim had resigned from the CEC’s office, adding that since that time, no consultation process had started to decide on the appointment of a new election commissioner. He moreover wrote that as the opposition leader is often approached by political parties and the media regarding the appointment of a regular CEC, it was important that ad-hocism does not become the way of business. He stated in his letter that he hoped that the prime minister would initiate the process on an immediate basis keeping in view the demands of the political parties. Agreement reached on names for national human rights commission During the meeting, both Dar and Shah agreed on the names of the chairman and members of the national commission on human rights. Speaking to media representatives after the meeting, Dar said the names recommended by the opposition leader to the prime minister for the commission have been accepted. The names are still being kept secret by both sides. The prime minister would send these names to the speaker who would constitute a four-member parliamentary committee which would interview candidates for chairman and members of the commission and would select suitable candidates for the commission. Shah told reporters that names of the chairman and members for the national commission for minorities have been also finalised. Without disclosing the names, he said four Muslims, two Hindus, two Christians, one Parsi and one Sikh have been shortlisted.