The terms of Pakistan’s Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja and two other Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) members – Nisar Ahmed Durrani and Shah Muhammad Jatoi – officially ended on Sunday.

However, thanks to a recent amendment to Article 215(1), they will continue to serve until their replacements are appointed. Their five-year terms began on January 27th, 2019.

The ECP’s current leadership has faced intense public criticism over its handling of several key electoral issues, particularly those involving the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

The commission has been widely criticized for its failure to hold local government elections in Punjab and Islamabad, as well as for delays in conducting Senate elections for 11 seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The ECP has also drawn fire for its handling of reserved assembly seats for the PTI, despite a Supreme Court order to allocate them.

Further controversies surround the ECP’s three nullifications of PTI intra-party election results and its denial of the party’s electoral symbol ahead of the 2023 general elections.

The commission’s decisions regarding Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and voting rights for overseas Pakistanis have also significantly damaged its reputation. Allegations of widespread rigging in the 2023 general elections have added to the criticism, both domestically and internationally.

The remaining two ECP members, Babar Hassan Bhawarana and Justice (Retd) Ikramullah Khan, will complete their terms on May 31st, 2027.