Opposition leader urges prime minister to appoint new chief election commissioner and ECP members for Sindh and Balochistan.

Mahmood Khan Achakzai, the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, sent a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday. He urged the prime minister to begin the constitutional procedure for appointing a new chief election commissioner and members of the Election Commission of Pakistan. The letter cites Article 213(2A), which requires the prime minister, in consultation with the leader of the opposition, to forward three names for the chief election commissioner to a parliamentary committee for hearing and confirmation. Article 218(2)(b) requires the same consultative process for appointing election commission members from each province. Achakzai noted that the statutory terms of the chief election commissioner, as well as the election commission members representing Sindh and Balochistan, expired on 26 January 2025. He said that filling these key positions promptly is necessary to preserve the commission’s operational continuity, independence and credibility. In a high‑level meeting chaired by Achakzai, the opposition coalition Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen Pakistan (TTAP) discussed political and constitutional issues, economic and security challenges, and the government’s perceived failure to address national crises. The meeting expressed concern that the incumbent election commissioners were continuing to perform their duties after the completion of their constitutional terms. The failure to initiate the appointment process was highlighted as a matter of urgency. The TTAP statement also addressed the health of former Pakistan Tehreek‑e‑Insaf founder Imran Khan. It described over a year of denial of access to family members and personal doctors in custody. The statement called for immediate family meetings, access for personal doctors, and a comprehensive medical examination at Al‑Shifa Hospital under supervision of the patient’s doctors and family members. Additional demands made by the alliance included the immediate release of former senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan and his associates, the release of arrested Kashmiri protesters, and the implementation of measures to end the humanitarian crisis in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The group urged better coordination over the long march announced by PTI and requested that PTI leadership be kept regularly informed of the march’s strategy. Achakzai reiterated his willingness to meet with the prime minister at the earliest convenience to finalize the nominations for the chief election commissioner and provincial election commission members, stressing the importance of restoring constitutional governance in Pakistan.