ISLAMABAD, April 12: The Election Commission, in pursuant of the recommendation of the Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court, appointed on Friday Justice Ahmad Khan Lashari as Member of the commission vice Justice Tariq Mehmood.

In a press release, the EC said Justice Tariq Mehmood, one of the members of the commission from Balochistan, was relieved of his duties as Member on the recommendation of the Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court on April 5, as his services were required in the high court.

Thus, the press report to the contrary “is misconceived and unfounded,” the press release said.

The Election Commission, in its official reaction to the reports that Justice Tariq had resigned in protest, said: “The fact is that the Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court had recommended on 5th April 2002 that Justice Tariq Mehmood be relieved from his assignment as Member and had recommended the name of Justice Ahmad Khan Lashari for appointment as Member Election Commission.”

The Election Commission stated that the following reasons were stated by the CJ of the Balochistan High Court for relieving Justice Tariq Mehmood:

a) That due to the appointment of Justice Tariq Mehmood as Member Election Commission, there was huge pendency of cases like Ehtesab Appeals, appeals arising from judgments of the Anti-Terrorism Court, Special Courts, Suppression of Terrorist Activities and Banking Appeals/Petitions, etc.; and

b) That the appointment of Justice Tariq Mehmood as Member and his participation in meeting for longer period at Islamabad had badly affected the overall disposal of special category of cases in the High Court of Balochistan.