ISLAMABAD: The government-opposition squabble over the issue of appointment of the chief election commissioner (CEC) intensified on Monday when the Pakistan Muslim League-N put the Pakistan People’s Party on back foot in a parliamentary committee meeting by rejecting the three names proposed by the prime minister and demanding the chairmanship of the committee.

Later, Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan announced that the PML-N would submit its own three names to the Parliamentary Committee on Appointment of CEC on Tuesday, but only after the election of its new chairman.

Sources told Dawn that at the outset of the meeting convened to elect a new chairman, PML-N members said that PPP’s Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah could not preside over the meeting since he was no more the chairman of the committee after its reconstitution.

The 12-member committee comprising members from both houses of parliament was recently reconstituted by National Assembly Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza after the Senate elections held in March.

The objection raised by the PML-N forced Mr Shah to leave the chair and the meeting was presided over by National Assembly’s Secretary Karamat Hussain Niazi.

However, the members failed to elect a new chairman when PML-N’s members demanded that this time the post should go to the opposition. They were of the view that since the committee had equal representation from the treasury and the opposition benches, it was the right of the PML-N to get the office.

They also protested against Mr Shah writing a letter to the leader of opposition, asking him to submit three names to the committee for the post of the CEC. Since Mr Shah was no more chairman of the committee, he had no authority to write such a letter, they said.

The opposition members also drew the attention of the chairman to the committee’s rule under which a CEC could only be appointed by two-thirds majority of the committee. They said the committee could approve the appointment with at least eight votes.

The committee will meet again on Tuesday to elect its chairman.

Talking to reporters, Chaudhry Nisar said the PML-N had finalised the names of three persons who could be appointed as CEC.

He claimed that all the three enjoyed good reputation and no-one would be able to raise a finger at them. He said none of the three persons belonged to Punjab and they had no association with the PML-N.

He said the opposition would never agree on the names proposed by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

He alleged that the government had proposed the names of controversial persons who had been associated directly or indirectly with the PPP in the past.

The opposition leader said he would not hold any consultation with the prime minister because of his conviction by the Supreme Court on contempt charges.

He said the PML-N would hold consultations with other opposition parties, including those having no representation in parliament.

The prime minister had said earlier this month that after failure of his efforts for consultation on the matter he had sent a list of three names to the leader of opposition.

The PML-N confirmed that it had received the names of Justice (retd) Munir A. Sheikh, Justice (retd) Amirul Mulk Mengal and Justice (retd) Zahid Qurban Alvi.

The office of the CEC fell vacant after retirement of Justice (retd) Hamid Ali Mirza on March 23.The 18th Amendment has increased the tenure of the CEC to five years from three and changed the procedure of his appointment. The CEC was earlier appointed by the president, but under Article 213 of the Constitution, the prime minister in consultation with the opposition leader in the National Assembly is required to forward three names to the parliamentary committee for confirmation of one of them.

In the event of the prime minister and the leader of opposition not able to reach consensus, under Clause 2B of the article both of them will be required to forward separate lists to the committee which will be empowered to confirm one name.

Lawyers urge Nawaz to defuse crisis

A lawyers’ delegation led by Supreme Court Bar Association’s former president Asma Jahangir called on PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and requested him to end the current political deadlock, especially on the issue of appointment of chief election commissioner.

According to Azam Nazir Tarar, a member of the delegation, the PML-N chief assured the delegation that a third force would not be allowed to make any inroads into politics or government affairs.

Mr Sharif also accepted the lawyers’ invitation to attend an all parties’ conference to be hosted by the SCBA in Islamabad on May 26. A joint meeting of the Pakistan Bar Council, Punjab Bar Council, SCBA and Lahore High Court Bar Association last week had given mandate to the delegation to meet all political leaders and strive to end the political deadlock.—Staff Reporter