SC rejects plea against appointment of chief election commissioner

• SC rejects plea against appointment of Sikandar Sultan Raja as CEC
• Acting CJP asks petitioner if there is currently any serving judge in the ECP.
• Says appointment of ECP members, including CEC, based on merit and competency.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Wednesday dismissed a petition against the appointment of Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja.

During the proceedings, the apex court upheld objections raised by the Registrar Office on the petition of Advocate Ali Azeem Afridi.

During the hearing, acting Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Umar Ata Bandial asked whether there is any serving judge in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) at present.

Petitioner Ali Azeem Afridi said that currently there is no serving judge in the ECP.

To this, the acting CJP said that then there is no need to pursue this matter. "You say that a retired bureaucrat cannot be appointed as the Chief Election Commissioner. Have you read the SC decision of the NAB chairman appointment case?" the CJP asked.

The CJP stated that the CEC and NAB chairperson are not judicial officers. "According to the Constitution, no constitutional amendment can be challenged. Still, we appreciate your efforts. You raised a constitutional point," he said.

According to the top court, the appointment of ECP members, including the election commissioner, was based on merit and competency.

Earlier, the SC Registrar's office had dismissed the petition as inadmissible, after which the petition filed by Advocate Ali Azeem Afridi was filed in open court.