Election appointments stall amid political crisis over candidate ban.
Political deadlock started when the chief election commissioner's term ended.
Islamabad (Special Correspondent / Web Desk)- The appointment of Pakistan’s top election officials is at a standstill. This happened after opposition leader Omar Ayub was disqualified from his seat. The process was already stalled for months and is now completely frozen.
Pakistan’s constitution has a strict rule. The Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader must agree on new appointments for the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and two other members. Their agreed-upon names then go to a parliamentary committee for a final sign-off.
But now, with Omar Ayub gone, there is no official Opposition Leader to consult. This has created a political gap. The Prime Minister’s office cannot start the required talks until a new opposition leader is chosen.
Why This Deadlock Started Months Ago
This problem didn’t start today. The previous Chief Election Commissioner’s five-year term ended last January. A constitutional amendment allows old officials to stay until new ones are named. This was meant to be a temporary fix.
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The government tried to start the process. The Prime Minister sent a letter to the opposition leader for consultation. However, Omar Ayub did not reply to this offer. He wrote a separate letter to the National Assembly Speaker. He asked for a committee to be formed first. The Speaker sent the issue back, saying the Prime Minister must consult with the opposition leader before any committee forms. This back-and-forth ensured no progress was made.
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