MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): The federal government has formed a high-level committee under the chairmanship of Azam Nazeer Tarar, Federal Minister of Law and Justice, to appoint the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of Azad Kashmir.
The committee, consisting of the Chief Secretary Azad Kashmir and the Secretary Kashmir Affairs, will submit a report within seven days, after which a Chief Election Commissioner will be appointed.
However, the formation of this committee has been met with strong opposition from the political parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which rejected the committee and vowed not to accept any unconstitutional move.
In a joint statement, President PPP Azad Kashmir Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin, Speaker Assembly Chaudhry Latif Akbar, and PPP AJK Central Secretary Information Sardar Javed Ayub, terming it unconstitutional, said that such a move would not be accepted.
The party said the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner should be made by a panel in consultation with the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition under the constitution.
The political analysts said that there is no provision in the Azad Kashmir construction for this committee. “Any appointment made on the recommendations of this committee would be extra-constitutional.”
What Constitution Say?
The AJK Election Commission consists of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), who serves as chairman, and two members.
Under the AJK Constitution, the CEC is appointed by the President on the advice of the Chairman of the AJK Council — the Prime Minister of Pakistan — based on nominees proposed by the AJK Prime Minister in consultation with the Leader of the Opposition.
Members, however, are appointed by the President solely on the advice of the AJK Prime Minister.
The criteria for appointment, as stipulated in the Constitution, require the individual to be a retired judge of the AJK superior courts or a civil servant of BPS 21 and above in the AJK government.
