ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday wrote a letter to opposition leader Omar Ayub, inviting him to hold consultations regarding the appointment of a new Pakistan chief election commissioner. 

Former chief election commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja and two other members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from Sindh and Balochistan completed their five-year tenures on Jan. 26 this year. However, they continue to hold office as per Article 215 of the constitution until their replacements are appointed. 

As per Pakistan’s constitution, the prime minister shall forward, after consultations with the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, three names for the appointment of the chief election commissioner to a parliamentary committee for hearing and confirmation of any one person. 

“In view of the aforesaid, you are invited for a meeting for consultation, in terms of clause (2A) of Article 213 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973, in order to finalize three names each for appointment of Chief Election Commissioner and Members from Sindh and Balochistan,” a copy of Sharif’s letter to Ayub, seen by Arab News, said. 

Raja oversaw Pakistan’s contentious general election last year marred by a countrywide shutdown of cellular networks, suspension of Internet services and delayed results. Ayub’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and other opposition parties alleged the ECP, under Raja, manipulated the results of the polls to facilitate his political rivals. 

The ECP strongly rejected the PTI’s allegations while the caretaker government at the time said mobile phone and Internet services were suspended to maintain law and order in the country. Sharif’s government has also rejected the PTI’s allegations and said the polls were free, fair and transparent. 

Former prime minister Imran Khan’s PTI has held several protests against the government and demanded it investigate allegations of rigging in the 2024 election, and return its “stolen” mandate.

The government, on the other hand, has urged the PTI to seek legal recourse and avoid taking to the streets in protest. 

Talks between the two sides to break political tensions were held earlier this year. However, after a couple of rounds, the PTI pulled out, accusing the government of not fulfilling its demands to form judicial commissions to probe violent protests in May 2023 and November 2024. 

The government alleges the violent protests were instigated by the PTI leadership.