CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja to retire this month

With merely 18 days remaining until the retirement of Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja and two members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the consultation process between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Opposition Leader Omer Ayub regarding the appointment of their successors has yet to commence.

The chief election commissioner, along with the ECP members from Sindh and Balochistan, is scheduled to retire on January 26.

However, in accordance with the 26th Amendment, the current officeholders will remain in their positions until new appointments are confirmed.

According to the Constitution, the prime minister and the opposition leader must consult and propose three mutually agreed-upon candidates for the roles of chief election commissioner and ECP members.

These nominations are subsequently submitted to a 12-member parliamentary committee, which is responsible for making the final decision.

Should the two leaders be unable to reach an agreement, each will present three distinct names to the committee, which will then review and finalize the appointments.

The qualifications for the chief election commissioner stipulate that the individual must be a former Supreme Court judge, a technocrat, or a bureaucrat under the age of 68.