PM Shehbaz invites NA opposition leader Achakzai for consultation on new CEC

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken a practical step towards initiating dialogue between the government and the opposition by inviting National Assembly Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai for mandatory consultations on the appointment of a new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), a source close to the prime minister told Dawn on Thursday. However, the opposition leader has so far not responded to the prime minister’s invitation. Interestingly, the invitation was extended days before the PTI-led long march towards Islamabad on Sept 27. “Yes, the prime minister invited him (Achakzai) for consultation,” the source said.

A few days ago, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, during an NA session, stressed the need for political harmony and stability and expressed the desire for the prime minister to initiate dialogue with the opposition by, as a first step, inviting the opposition leader for consultations on the appointment of a new CEC. On the other hand, PTI kept mum on the matter. When a senior party leader was contacted, he was reluctant to comment on the prime minister’s invitation. The five-year term of incumbent CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja expired on Jan 26, 2025. Raja has remained controversial since the ouster of the PTI government in April 2022 over what the opposition called his “support” for the PML-N-led government. One of the main allegations levelled against Raja was that he had deprived PTI of its party symbol , the bat, in the 2024 elections. His critics alleged that the denial of the party symbol was aimed not only at disadvantaging PTI by confusing voters, but also at allowing PTI-backed “independents” to later join the ruling coalition without risking disqualification. They also claimed that the move was intended to deprive PTI of…