Islamabad:
The Secretariat of the National Assembly clarified on Sunday that the appointment of the Chief of Elections (CEC) commissioner and two members of the Pakistan Electoral Commission (ECP) were carried out in full compliance with the constitutional requirements and parliamentary procedures.
In response to recent media reports, the Secretariat confirmed that the president of the National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, has formally responded to a letter from the opposition leader Omar Ayub regarding the appointments.
“According to the spokesman of the National Assembly, the constitutional and legal procedures for the formation of the parliamentary committee are still in letter and spirit. It was clarified that the first step in this process is a mutual consultation between the Prime Minister and the opposition leader,” said the statement.
According to the spokesman of the National Assembly, the speaker, in his response, described the constitutional and legal framework that governs the formation of the parliamentary committee responsible for the appointments.
He reminded the opposition leader that the first step throughout the process, as ordered by the Constitution, was a mutual consultation between the prime minister and the opposition leader.
The speaker also referred to a letter dated May 16, 2025, sent by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to the opposition leader, in which the prime minister had initiated the advisory process for nominations.
The spokesman added that in the event that the prime minister and the opposition leader do not reach a consensus on the names for the members of CEC or ECP, the matter will be sent to the speaker under article 213 (2nd) of the Constitution.
