Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The tenure of four members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will expire in June, which will affect important cases being heard by the commission.

Justice (Retd) Roshan Esani (Sindh), Justice (Retd) Riaz Kiyani (Punjab), Justice (Retd) Fazal-ur-Rehman (Balochistan) and Justice (Retd) Shahzad Akbar Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) will retire on June 13 this year.

They were appointed members of the ECP in June 2011 for a five-year term after consultations between the government and the opposition parties, according to the procedure as per 18th Constitutional Amendment.

The retirement of the four members could affect important cases being heard by the ECP such as the Akbar S Baber case involving misappropriation of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf funds and National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq’s plea against Aleem Khan of the PTI relating to fake affidavits.

The date of retirement of four members of the ECP is approaching fast, but the government and the opposition have not yet started consultations on appointment of new ECP members.

As per Article 13 A and B of the Constitution, the prime minister is bound to send three names from each province to a 12-member parliamentary committee and the committee will pick one name from each province for appointment as ECP member.

The parliamentary committee must have equal representation of opposition and government legislators — eight members of the National Assembly and four members of the Senate.