AJK High Court rules delay in CEC appointment by PM unconstitutional
Orders to appoint commissioner by constituting a penal urgently: Judge remarks no constitutional body can be left incomplete: CEC tenure had ended in January 2025
The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) High Court on Tuesday ruled that the delay in appointing the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) amounts to Prime Minister Anwarul Haq’s violation of constitutional responsibilities.
According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, in its landmark judgement, the AJK High Court ordered that a panel for the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner be constituted without delay.
Justice Sardar Ejaz Khan remarked that no constitutional body can be suspended or left incomplete, stressing that a transparent electoral process in the state must be guaranteed.
The court noted that the tenure of the Chief Election Commissioner had ended in January 2025, but no new appointment had yet been made. It directed that the election commission appointments be completed immediately in consultation with the opposition leader.
The writ petition had been filed by former Assembly candidate from Bagh, Ejaz Khattana, and the case was pursued by senior Supreme Court lawyer Raja Sajjad Advocate. The judgement was delivered by Justice Sardar Ejaz Khan.
Reporter: Safeer Raza