ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf on Thursday nominated six lawmakers for a parliamentary committee responsible for appointing the chief election commissioner (CEC) and members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Omar Ayub Khan, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, conveyed the nominations through a letter to Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.The nominees include four members of the National Assembly: Asad Qaiser, Gohar Ali Khan, Hamid Raza, and Sardar Latif Khosa, along with two Senators, Shibli Faraz and Allama Raja Nasir.

In the letter, Mr Khan urged the speaker toinitiate the process for appointing the CEC and two ECP members, requesting the committee be established under Article 213(2B) of the Constitution.

He said that a `long time has been passed to completion of the tenure of the CEC so appointment should be made at the earliest`, and mentioned that he had written on the matter previously as well.

The government, throughthe26thConstitutional Amendment, stipulated that the incumbent CEC will continue in office until a successor is appointed.

According to Article 213 of the Constitution, the prime minister and the leader of the opposition are to send three names to the president by consensus. If they fail to agree, each will send their respective names to a parliamentary committee.

The speaker of the National Assembly will then form a 12-member parliamentary committee with equal representation from treasury and opposition benches. This committee will select one name by consensus and forward it to the president for approval.