The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) asked for nominees from the opposition and the government for members of the ECP and CEC.

The opposition leader criticised the government for making ordinary people’s lives miserable.

Speaker asks for nominees for ECP:

National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has asked the government and opposition to give nominees for members of the ECP and CEC. He made this announcement during the house proceedings while responding to Opposition Leader Omar Ayub Khan. The speaker National Assembly confirmed that the parliamentary committee would be established after getting nominations. He also clarified that no points of order would be allowed during the question hour. He reinforced that the rule would be followed strictly.

Opposition leader questions SIFC performance:

Omar Ayub questioned the salaries, qualifications, and effectiveness of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) employees and demanded details of the investments the SIFC brought into Pakistan.

Also Read: CEC Faces Bias Allegations: PTI’s Waqas Akram Criticizes Election Commission

He accused the government of making the National Assembly ineffective by failing to respond to his queries about the SIFC. According to him, the lack of transparency undermined the institution’s credibility.

Criticism of Election Commission and delayed polls:

Omar Ayub criticised the government’s decision to extend the tenure of CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja. He argued that Raja should have been charged under Article 6 of the Constitution for failing to conduct timely elections. He blamed him for holding controversial elections after an unnecessary delay.

He also called for the replacement of two ECP members who had already completed their constitutional term. He insisted that an independent Election Commission and electronic voting machines (EVMs) were essential for Pakistan’s progress.

The opposition leader claimed that former army chief General Qamar Bajwa had interfered to block the use of EVMs in the February 8 elections. According to Ayub, EVMs would have prevented the alleged manipulation of election results.

Allegations of external interference in Parliamentary affairs:

Ayub further alleged that powerful external forces had influenced the agenda of the parliamentary committee on human rights. He accused National Assembly staff of acting under pressure from these outsiders.

He pointed to letters from Islamabad High Court judges who had reported interference from intelligence agencies in judicial matters. He protested the repeated denial of his right to speak in the house, calling it a violation of parliamentary traditions.

Claims of political victimisation:

The opposition leader condemned the government’s treatment of political opponents. He alleged that Punjab police had raided the home of PTI MNA Aneeqa Bhatti. Moreover, the police arrested her brother and kept her family’s land under siege.

He accused law enforcement of targeting PTI MNAs Ahmad Chatta, Mobin Jutt, and Osama Mela. Their homes were allegedly raided, with police vandalising their belongings. He criticised the authorities for cracking down on political rivals and being unable to control crime in slum areas.

Toshakhana cases and judiciary’s role:

The opposition leader also said that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were innocent in the Toshakhana cases. He claimed that these cases were politically motivated and intended to discredit PTI’s leadership.

Economic concerns and public frustration:

Omar Ayub said that Pakistan’s economic condition is not stable. The government repeatedly claims that the country’s inflation rate is reduced, but Ayub strongly opposes these claims and declares them false. He also said that the government would soon face public outrage over rising living costs. He also warned the government of future consequences if it does not stabilise the country’s economy.