ISLAMABAD: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah held separate meetings on Monday with a federal minister and members of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and discussed with them appointments to key posts, including that of the chief election commissioner (CEC).

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, on behalf of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, called on Mr Shah at his Parliament House chamber and discussed the formation of National Commission on Human Rights (NCHR) and National Commission on Minorities (NCM).

Talking to reporters both leaders claimed that they had reached a consensus on the names of members and chairmen of the two commissions. They did not disclose the names.

According to Mr Dar, the issue of CEC’s appointment also came under discussion. He, however, said that no names were discussed and the two sides agreed to continue consultations on the matter.

The minister said he had asked the leader of opposition to suggest names for the important constitutional office and Mr Shah said he would do so after consultations with other opposition parties.

Later, Mr Shah received PTI’s vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi and information secretary Dr Shireen Mazari at his residence and discussed the issue of CEC’s appointment.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Qureshi said he had asked the leader of opposition to keep in mind the “past bitter experiences” while making nominations for the office of the CEC. He said Mr Shah had informed them that the government had not proposed any name for the office and assured that he would share with them the names proposed by the prime minister.

The PTI leader regretted that the proposed parliamentary committee on election reforms had not been notified so far despite the fact that his party had already given their names. “This shows the ‘seriousness’ of the government,” he added.

NCHR and NCM: Finance Minister Dar said that instead of sending three names each by the prime minister and the opposition leader for members and chairman of the NCHR, they finalised three names for each position.

He said he had sent the names to the prime minister who would forward them to the National Assembly speaker with a request to constitute a four-member bipartisan parliamentary committee to interview all candidates and finalise the names.

When asked in which capacity he had held talks with the opposition leader, Mr Dar said he had been authorised by the prime minister to hold consultations with Mr Shah.

The NCM would be set up through an executive order and, according to Mr Shah, it would comprise 10 members — four Muslims, two Christians, two Hindus, one Parsi and one Sikh.

A state-funded but independent nine-member NCHR is being created under a law passed by parliament on May 4, 2012, after remaining under discussion at the committee level for almost three years.

The law empowers the federal government to appoint NCHR members under a procedure involving a public notice inviting suggestions, consultations between the prime minister and the leader of the opposition, and approval by a bipartisan parliamentary committee before a presidential confirmation.

The NCHR will comprise a chairperson who has been or is qualified to be a judge of the Supreme Court or possesses knowledge of matters relating to human rights; one member from each province, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Islamabad with knowledge of matters relating to human rights; the chairperson of the National Commission on the Status of Women; one member from minorities and a secretary.

Published in Dawn, July 8th , 2014