ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah are expected to finalise the name of the new chief election commissioner (CEC) on Monday.

“With the Supreme Court’s deadline looming over our heads, we will finalise the name of a new chief election commissioner on Monday,” Mr Shah told Dawn on Sunday.

Former chief justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani and retired Justice Tariq Pervez are tipped as strong contenders among the probables named thus far by both the government and the opposition. However, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), which has been publicly lobbying to have former Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid installed as CEC, may be asked to change its nomination because the main opposition PPP has reservations over his nomination.

Know more: Tassaduq Jillani, Tariq Pervez main contenders for CEC office

Mr Shah said his party was in favour of the retired chief justice – whose name was proposed by the prime minister – even though their fellow opposition party PTI has rejected the suggestion.

Former CJP top contender; no party has objected to Tariq Pervez’s nomination

The Supreme Court had given the government and opposition until Nov 13 to fill the post of CEC, which has been vacant for over 16 months now.

PTI chairman Imran Khan, at a public meeting in Rahimyar Khan on Sunday, rejected the nomination of the former chief justice and urged Justice Jillani to turn down the offer himself. However, there is no constitutional obligation for the PM or the opposition leader to entertain proposals from any other party before appointing a new CEC for four years.

“Although we have no legal obligation to do so, we have consulted the PTI as well as the MQM, ANP, PPP-Sherpao and Fata leadership,” Mr Shah said.

Nearly all the parties involved, except the PTI, seem to have agreed on the nomination of former chief justice Jillani. However, the name of former Peshawar High Court chief justice Tariq Pervez, proposed by Mr Shah, cannot be ruled out as no party has raised any objection to his name so far. The PTI seems to be silent on the issue because Justice Pervez was the caretaker chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the general elections in May 2013. PTI claims that there was little or no rigging in the elections in KP, which were conducted under his watch.

His nomination has also been supported by the ANP and PPP-Sherpao, despite the fact that they lost the last election comprehensively.

Mr Shah told Dawn that his party would not consider the PTI’s nominee — retired Justice Zahid — as he had issued adverse decisions in cases involving the PPP leadership in the past.

“I will get in touch with PTI vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi and ask him to propose another name that might be acceptable to all,” Mr Shah said.

He said although former Supreme Court Justice Rana Bhagwandas had refused to be in the run for the CEC’s office, he would ask Mr Qureshi to try and convince the former judge to accept the position.

Justice Bhagwandas cannot hold the office of CEC because of a legal hitch: he has served as chairman of the Federal Public Service Commission and thus cannot hold any other government or constitutional office under the existing law. The former judge has also personally stated that he did not want the government and the opposition to change the law only to benefit one individual.

The leader of the opposition said he also tried to contact Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Dr Tahirul Qadri, but in vain.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2014