Consensus Commission withdraws from NCC proposal, proposes ‘Appointment Committee’

The National Consensus Commission has withdrawn from the proposal of the National Constitutional Council (NCC). Instead, it has proposed to set up a ‘Appointment Committee for Constitutional and Statutory Institutions’. This was stated by the Vice-Chairman of the Commission, Professor Dr. Ali Riaz, at the discussion of the National Consensus Commission with political parties at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital on Wednesday (June 25).

Stating that the President and Chief Justice will not be included in this committee, he said that the National Consensus Commission has withdrawn from the NCC proposal, giving importance to the opinions of political parties. The structure of this new committee has also been changed. The proposal to have the President and Chief Justice in the NCC will not be in the new proposed committee. The speakers of the upper and lower houses will be included in this committee.

The committee will only handle the appointment activities of constitutional and statutory institutions. The appointment of the Attorney General and the heads of the three services will not be included in this committee, Ali Riaz also said. He further said that the chairman of the committee will be the Speaker of the Lower House. This committee will have seven members.

The proposed committee will include the Prime Minister, Speaker (Lower House), Speaker (Upper House), Leader of the Opposition, a representative of the opposition parties other than the main opposition party, a representative of the President (qualified by law), a judge of the Appellate Division nominated by the Chief Justice. The Speaker of the Lower House will preside.