ISLAMABAD: The Parliamentary Committee on the Appointment of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) has developed consensus on the name of former Justice Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim as CEC, Geo News reported.
The meeting of the committee held under the chair of Khursheed Shah deliberated on the names of senior on duty and retired judges to fill the post of CEC, vacant since March 24.
After considering the nominations forwarded by the prime minister and the Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly, the committee unanimously confirmed the name of former justice Fakhruddin G. Ibrahim for the appointment as Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan.
The name of Fakhruddin was proposed by Senator Islam-ud-din Sheikh and seconded by Senator Raja Zafarul Haq followed by all the members of the Committee present in the meeting. Endorsing the decision of the Committee, all the members individually appreciated the magnanimity of the government to accept the nominee of the Opposition.
Other names included acting CEC Justice Shakirullah Jan, former justices Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim, Amirul Mulk Mengal, Naseem Sikandar and Munir A Shaikh.
Talking to media, Chairman of the Committee, Khursheed Shah said that with the appointment of an impartial Chief Election Commissioner, 90 percent of the Charter of Democracy (CoD) has been implemented.
Shah said Fakharuddin is an experienced and impartial person. He said that government also has a firm resolve to take opposition onboard on all issues of national importance and the instant decision was continuation of that resolve.
The meeting was attended by Senators Islam-ud-din Sheikh, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Raja Zafarul Haq, Haji Muhammad Adeel, MNAs Dr. Muhammad Farooq Sattar, Ch. Ghais Ahmad Mela and Lt. Gen Abdul Qadir Baloch (retd).
Profile of Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim:
Fakhruddin born on February 12, 1928, is a retired Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, and Senior Advocate Supreme Court, and peace activist. He also served as the interim Law Minister from 18 July 1993 until 19 October 1993, and interim Justice Minister from 5 November 1996 until 17 February 1997.
He is well known as the former Attorney General of Pakistan during the democratic government of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and served as his close legal adviser throughout the 1970s.
In 1988, he was also Governor of Sindh, appointed by the former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto during her first term. (Profile by Wikipedia)