Islamabad:
The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) rejected the complaints filed against the elections commissioner (CEC) and two members of the Pakistan Electoral Commission (ECP).
A press release dated August 15 indicates that complaints against “CEC M. Sikandar Sultan Raja and ECP members, Mr. Nisar Ahmed Durrani and Mr. Shah Muhammad Jatoi, were rejected by the SJC during his meetings on November 8, 2024 and December 13, 2024”.
The declaration has provided no details concerning complaints.
Although the five -year mandate of CEC Raja, member of Sindh Durrani and the member of Balutchistan Jatoi ended on January 26, they will remain in office in accordance with the 26th constitutional amendment.
The amendment allows the CEC and members to stay in office until their successors are appointed. Under article 215, paragraph 4, of the Constitution, these appointments must be made within 45 days. However, the deadline was unleashed on March 12 without any tangible progress.
Raja’s mandate was marred by controversies, the opposition frequently criticized him on delays in the holding of the general elections, the denial of the PTI “BAT” symbol and the alleged manipulation of the survey results.
The PTI had filed a complaint before the SJC in July 2024 requesting the dismissal of Raja and four members of the ECP. The complaint allegedly alleged that the ordinance of July 12 of the Supreme Court judged that the electoral supervisor had used powers in violation of the Constitution with wickedness and made a biased interpretation of the January 13 judgment of the refusal of the electoral symbol of “BAT” to the former ruling party.
