The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday reiterated its demand for the government to form a parliamentary committee to appoint a new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), a day after Sikander Sultan Raja’s tenure ended.
PTI leader and opposition figure Omar Ayub wrote to National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq urging him to set up the committee to ensure compliance with constitutional requirements.
“Sikander Sultan Raja’s tenure ended yesterday. He has no moral authority to continue. He and the two retired commissioners should resign immediately,” Ayub said on social media platform X.
Raja’s tenure was marred by controversy, including last year’s general election, which saw allegations of rigged results, internet blackouts and delays. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) rejected the PTI’s claims, while the caretaker government attributed the disturbances to maintaining law and order.
Tensions between Imran Khan’s party and Raja peaked in August 2022 when the ECP ruled that the PTI had received banned foreign funds, a charge the party denies. Later that year, the commission disqualified Khan from public office due to black assets, a verdict the PTI dismissed as politically motivated.
Imprisoned since August 2023 on multiple charges, Imran Khan was removed from office in April 2022 via a parliamentary vote. After aligning himself with Pakistan’s powerful military, Khan has since accused it of supporting his political rivals, claims the military denies.
The demand for a new CEC comes as political tensions between the PTI and the government escalate. The PTI last week withdrew from the talks, citing unmet demands for judicial commissions to investigate anti-government protests in May 2023 and November 2024 and the release of Khan and political prisoners.
The government’s negotiating team has promised to respond to the PTI’s demands by January 28 and is criticizing the party for unilaterally withdrawing from the talks. Meanwhile, calls to appoint a new chief electoral officer remain unresolved, further intensifying the political tussle.
