Former bureaucrat Sultan Sikandar likely to become new CEC

Former bureaucrat Sultan Sikandar likely to become new CEC

After failed to develop consensus on any name given by Prime Minister Imran khan and leader of the opposition Shahbaz Sharif- it seems that consensus is developing between PML-N and PTI on the name of former bureaucrat Raja Sultan Sikandar to formally nominate as new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). He is son-in-law of former bureaucrat Saeed Mehdi and belongs to the family of bureaucrats.

In the first attempt both sides were failed to finalise the name of CEC. The parliamentary committee also failed to break the deadlock. The opposition then approached Islamabad High Court to settle the issue. The Islamabad High Court referred the issue back to parliament. 

  

Sultan Sikandar recently retired in Grade 22 after working as the chief secretary of Azad Kashmir and federal secretary of various ministries. He also once served as the Director Land- Capital Development Authority (CDA). His brother, Wasal Fakhar Sultan Raja, is a senior police officer. His brother-in-law and son of Saeed Mehdi, Aamer Ahmad, who is currently the CDA chairman, is a favourite officer of the present government.

If PPP and other opposition parties gives go ahead and agrees to his name than it is most likely that parliamentary committee set up to choose new CEC will propose his name. PPP proposed the name of former Attorney General Irfan Qadir which was rejected by the other opposition parties including PML-N.

PML-N is supporting him because his father-in –law was principal secretary of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Nawaz Sharif knows him well.  Saeed Mehdi was considered very close to Nawaz sharif. Raja Sultan was use to visit Landhi jail Karachi to see his imprisoned father.

 Nawaz Sharif was also serving his jail sentence in hijacking case. He always visited Nawaz Sharif in 2000.  

The sources claimed that the PPP will agree to the choice of the PML-N and JUI-F for the position of the CEC as they pushed its nominee from Sindh, Nasir Durrani, in the parliamentary body that the government has also accepted.

The constitutional post is vacant since December 6 when former Judge of Supreme Court Sardar Raza retired, rendering the ECP dysfunctional. The parliamentary committee was going to take up the issue of CEC’s appointment on Friday but couldn’t as when it met, the prime minister’s fresh letter dated January 15 was not placed before it.

 It contained two new names, Sultan Sikandar and Jamil Ahmed, while the third one, Fazal Abbas Maken included in the previous communication, was also incorporated in it. Jamil Ahmed, also a retired civil servant, is currently the chairman of the Adjudicating Authority established under Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act.

Now, leader of the opposition Shahbaz Sharif will also propose three nominees or instead of suggesting them, may agree to one of the names recommended by the prime minister.

As far as the selection of two ECP members to represent Sindh and Balochistan is concerned, an accord has already been reached in the parliamentary forum but it has not been made public as every side has agreed that it would be made public along with the consensus on the next CEC. The government has accepted the nominations of the opposition parties for the two provinces.

                                                            Rukhsana Manzoor