New CEC, ECP members from Sindh and Balochistan: PTI urges govt to form parliamentary panel

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Sunday urged the government to form a parliamentary committee on immediate basis to appoint new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) as well as the members for ECP from Sindh and Balochistan.

PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram in a statement warned the government—devoid of a public mandate—against further undermining the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

He demanded of the government to appoint a credible, impeccable and impartial individual as the CEC immediately to restore the dwindling credibility of the ECP, which he described as a vital constitutional body.

PTI demands formation of parliamentary body on CEC appointment

Akram criticized Sikandar Sultan Raja, whose term as CEC ended on January 26, 2025, labelling him as one of the most controversial figures in Pakistan’s electoral history. He pointed to the February 8 polls, which PTI claims were marred by large-scale rigging, as a permanent stain on Raja’s legacy.

Those who stole the public mandate have systematically undermined all state institutions by enacting self-serving constitutional amendments to install loyalists and contentious figures in high-ranking positions, enabling them to perpetuate their unauthorized rule and evade accountability, he said.

The PTI leader also pointed out that both the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub, and the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Shibli Faraz, had already written letters to the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Chairman of the Senate, urging the swift appointment of a new CEC.

Waqas Akram made it clear that PTI would not allow the government to retain a controversial CEC or appoint a biased successor. He stressed that PTI was committed to ensuring the appointment of a credible and impartial individual to restore the integrity of the electoral process.

According to Akram, the public had already expressed its decision in the February 8 elections, despite alleged coercion and intimidation, and PTI was determined to ensure that the people’s mandate was respected.

The party has vowed to mobilize the public once again on February 8, 2025, to ensure that their decision is fully implemented.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025