ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday recommended the names of Fazal Abbas, Babar Yaqoob and Arif Khan for the post of chief election commissioner (CEC).
The approval from the prime minister came on the last day of CEC Justice (retd) Sardar Muhammad Raza’s tenure and after opposition’s petition in the Supreme Court to intervene in the matter.
Earlier, Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif had recommended the names of Nasir Mahmood Khosa, Jalil Abbas Jilani and Akhlaq Ahmad Tarar for the post of CEC.
A meeting of parliamentary panel on Wednesday ended in a deadlock between the treasury and opposition benches over the appointment of ECP members with both sides sticking to their stance.
Sources present in the meeting said the opposition demanded the government share its nominees for CEC before talks could proceed.
Read more: Opposition moves to SCP for nomination of new CEC
Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari, who spoke after the meeting, insisted that “consensus was developing” on the appointments.
Mazari, who is chairing the committee, had described the meeting as “very good” and the talks as “positive”. She had added the opposition and government are in agreement that the panel propose the names of the CEC and members together.
The minister said a meeting will now be called next week to reach an agreement on names for the three posts. (With additional input from INP)
