Four ECP members notified

Justice Altaf Ibrahim Qureshi chosen from Punjab, Abdul Ghaffar Soomro
from Sindh, Justice Irshad Qaiser from KP and Justice Shakeel Baloch from Balochistan; PTI objects to Punjab member’s selection

ISLAMABAD: The Parliamentary Committee on the Appointment of Chief Election Commissioner and Members of the Election Commission on Monday picked four names from the lists sent by Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Opposition Leader Syed Khursheed Shah in separate envelopes.

Those approved by the committee are Justice (retd) Altaf Ibrahim Qureshi from the Punjab, Abdul Ghaffar Soomro from Sindh, Justice (retd) Ms Irshad Qaiser from KP and Justice (retd) Shakeel Baloch from Balochistan.

The government notified the appointment of the new ECP members.The committee met here with Information Minister Senator Pervaiz Rashid in the chair.Justice (retd) Ms Irshad Qaiser is the first woman member of the commission.

The approved names would now be forwarded to Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, which would be followed by a formal notification for the appointment of  members.

The Supreme Court had directed the government to complete the Election Commission of Pakistan by appointing its four provincial members by July 27.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan objected to the selection process and tweeted: “Unfortunate that the new EC appointment in Punjab done without PTI’s recommended name of Tariq Khosa even being put up for discussion. After controversial 2013 General Election and the negative remarks of JC on Election Commissioners esp viz Punjab, one expected better this time round.”

PTI leader Shireen Mazari, who attended the meeting in place of Shah Mehmood Qureshi, abstained from voting on two names from the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while Daud Achakzai abstained from voting on the name of Justice (retd) Shakeel Baloch.

Talking to newsmen after the meeting, Minister for Information Pervaiz Rashid said the names of four members had been forwarded to the prime minister.

Replying to a question, the minister said there was a general consensus in the committee, as there were abstentions but no opposition to the names of the members.

He said there should be no objection to the names approved by the committee, as the entire process had been completed as per constitutional requirements.

Senator Pervaiz Rashid said this was for the first time that the Election Commission will have a woman member.

He said two members of the commission would retire after two and a half years and the remaining two after five years to ensure continuity of the commission.

To a question, the information minister said PTI Chairman Imran Khan should lodge his complaint, if any, with the Leader of the Opposition Syed Khursheed Shah and not with the government.

Responding to Imran Khan, Opposition Leader Syed Khursheed Shah said PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi was a part of the consultation process.