ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain approved on Wednesday the 22nd Constitution Amendment after which bureaucrats, government officers and technocrats have become eligible for appointment as the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and members of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in addition to serving or retired judges of apex courts.

The bill has been approved two days before the retirement of four members of the ECP who will retire on Friday, thus making it difficult for the government and the opposition to reach a consensus on the names of new members in such a short time.

A notification issued by the Presidency said: “On a summary initiated by the Senate Secretariat, the president has approved the Prime Minister’s advice and accorded his assent to the Constitution (Twenty-second Amen-dment) Bill, 2016.”

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2016