ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) has ordered that the appointment of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Pakistan should be made till November 13, 2014. SC has rejected the request of the opposition leader, Khursheed Shah, in which he requested to give more time to appoint the Chief Election Commissioner and has ordered the government to ensure appointment of CEC till November 13, 2014.
Supreme Court had already ordered to appoint regular Chief Election Commissioner. The opposition leader Khursheed in this regard submitted a plea that SC gave some more time to appoint the CEC. Khursheed Shah’s lawyer, Aitazaz Ahsan said in the court that the affairs inside and outside the parliament had been uncertain.
Chief Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk said during the proceeding that the post of Chief Election Commissioner had been empty since August 2013, adding that SC would take back the services of SC’s judge as Chief Election Commissioner after August 2013. SC ordered that the appointment of Chief Election Commissioner be ensured before electoral reforms.
He said that the institution needed a regular Chief Election Commissioner so that a regular policy could be formed. It is pertinent to mention here that in case CEC’s seat is emptied, a senior judge of Supreme Court acts as Chief Election Commissioner and these days, Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali is giving his services as acting CEC.