Chief Election Commissioner Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza on Thursday rejected a call by political parties calling on provincial members of the Election Commission to tender their resignations ahead of the upcoming local government polls in Sindh and Punjab.
In a consultative meeting of the commission held here today, the chief election commissioner said that those who have any reservations may refer to the Supreme Judicial Council for removal of ECP members.
The Supreme Judicial Council is the correct constitutional forum for removal of Election Commission members, sources quoted the chief election commissioner as saying.
He said the appointment of the members of the ECP was constitutional and they would not tender resignations. He said the right forum for dismissal of the ECP members was Supreme Judicial Council.
The CEC said that the Judiciary has expressed its inability for provision of Judges to act as Returning Officers during the forthcoming elections and as such the political parties should themselves move to the courts requesting them to provide services of Judicial officers for the elections.