A photo of opposition leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai. SCREEN GRAB
ISLAMABAD:
A major hurdle in the appointment of a new CEC and two ECP members may soon be cleared as PTI-backed Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Mahmood Khan Achakzai has agreed to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to fulfill the constitutional requirement.
The appointment process has remained stalled after Achakzai’s predecessor, Omar Ayub, refused to meet the prime minister, preventing the mandatory consultation from taking place.
But the newly briefed leader of the opposition in the lower house of parliament is ready to respond positively to the government’s move to appoint the long-delayed new CEC and two ECP members, while the incumbent regime is also ready to initiate the process, according to government officials and opposition members.
When contacted, TTAP spokesperson Akhunzada Hussain Yousafzai confirmed the development.
Speaking to The Express Pakinomist in Islamabad on Thursday, he said that if the Prime Minister issues an invitation regarding the appointment of ECP members, both PTI and Mahmood Khan Achakzai would respond positively.
“If there is an offer from the prime minister that a meeting is called and we are invited, we will take it positively,” he said. “We want the Election Commission to stand on its own two feet. For the sake of transparency in the election process, all political parties should sit together and discuss the matter. From our side, there will be no obstacle at all. In fact, we are waiting for such a move so that matters related to the Election Commission can move forward and the country can move towards free and fair elections in the future.”
Asked if PTI is on board, Yousafzai said PTI and TTAP were separate entities but added that Achakzai had the backing of Imran Khan and whatever decision he takes will be accepted by all.
SAPM Huzaifa Rehman confirmed to The Express Pakinomist that the prime minister would soon invite Achakzai for key constitutional appointments.
He said consultations on the appointment of ECP members would be conducted strictly in accordance with constitutional requirements and the process would only proceed thereafter.
Rehman noted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had also tried to initiate consultations earlier, but the process was blocked when Omar Ayub refused to attend the meeting. “Now the Prime Minister will again invite the concerned parties as per the memorandum and it is hoped that very positive results will be seen in the coming days,” he said.
He added that Achakzai could also write directly to the Prime Minister terming the matter as an important constitutional issue. “If he wants to discuss it, he can formally correspond with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif so that immediate action can be taken on these proposals,” Rehman said.
According to the constitution, the Prime Minister is required to initiate the appointment process through consultation with the Leader of the Opposition.
The prime minister had formally invited the then opposition leader Omar Ayub to initiate consultations, but the latter refused to meet him and instead asked the speaker of the National Assembly to set up a parliamentary committee.
Under the constitutional framework, however, the parliamentary committee cannot be formed until the consultations between the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition have been completed.
