ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday directed Attorney General Salman Butt to provide assurance to the apex court by Dec 2 (tomorrow) that the appointment of a new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) would be made before the court's Dec 5 deadline expires.

A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk, heard the case pertaining to the appointment of a new CEC.

AG Salman Butt apprised the apex court that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah would finalise the name of a new CEC during their meeting on Dec 1 (today).

Read: SC extends deadline for appointment of CEC

Earlier, the bench had directed Butt to provide a formal assurance to the court that the government and the opposition would succeed in finalising a name for the office of CEC in their meeting.

The court subsequently adjourned the hearing to Dec 2 (tomorrow).

The CEC office has been vacant for over 16 months after the retirement of Fakhruddin G. Ibrahim.

This is the fourth deadline given to the government by the Supreme Court. Earlier, the court had set Oct 28, Nov 13 and Nov 24 as deadlines for the appointment of CEC.

Read: Govt may seek more time for CEC’s appointment

After the expiry of the third deadline on Nov 24, the court had set Dec 1 for the appointment of the CEC and said it would withdraw on Dec 5 its judge Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali who is currently officiating as the CEC.

According to sources close to the developments regarding the new CEC's appointment, the government and opposition were facing difficulties in finding a suitable candidate due to a constitutional bar that the CEC must be a retired judge from the superior judiciary.

The name of former Supreme Court judge Justice (retd) Tariq Pervez Khan is still under consideration for the CEC post, sources said.

Read: PM, Shah likely to finalise CEC appointment on phone