Appointments in ECP: SHC seeks reply from Sindh, Balochistan members

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday sought reply from the members of Election Commission of Pakistan Sindh and Balochistan pertaining to a petition against appointments of the members of Election Commission from four provinces.

A bench of the SHC heard the petition filed by Justice (retd) Wajihuddin Ahmed, against the appointments of election commission members in 2016 and sought reply from the members of Sindh and Balochistan’s Election Commission till 21 May.

Abdullah, the law officer of the Election Commission of Pakistan, told the court that Commission had already submitted its answer in this regard.

Advocate Safdar Ali submitted his Wakalatnama of Election Commission’s members of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.

However, no any member or representative of the Election Commission of Sindh and Balochistan appeared before the court.

The court directed the Sindh and Balochistan’s members of Election Commission for following the notice.

The petitioner stated that judges and retired government’s officers could not hold any government’s position for two years after their retirement.

He said that Justice (retd) Shakeel Ahmed was appointed as member of Balochistan, Justice (rerd) Miss Irshad Qaiser for Peshawar and Justice (retd) Altaf Ibrahim was appointed of the member from Lahore.

However, another retired official, Abdul Ghaffar Khan, who is said to be facing charges of corruption, was appointed from Sindh, he said.

The petitioner pleaded the court to term the appointments of these officials null and void.