Article 213: Chief Election Commissioner

1. There shall be a Chief Election Commissioner (in this Part referred to as the Commissioner), who shall be
appointed by the President 140[***].

2. No person shall be appointed to be Commissioner unless he is, or has been, a Judge of the Supreme Court or is, or has been, a Judge of a High Court and is qualified under paragraph (a) of clause (2) of Article 177 to be appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court.

2A. The Prime Minister shall in consultation with the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, forward three names for appointment of the Commissioner to a Parliamentary Committee for hearing and confirmation of any one person.

2B. The Parliamentary Committee to be constituted by the Speaker shall comprise fifty percent members from the Treasury Benches and fifty percent from the Opposition Parties, based on their strength in Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament), to be nominated by the respective Parliamentary Leaders: Provided that in case there is no consensus between the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, each shall forward separate lists to the Parliamentary Committee for consideration which may confirm any one name:

Provided further that the total strength of the Parliamentarym Committee shall be twelve members out of which one-third shall be from the Senate, and

Provided also that when the National Assembly is dissolved and vacancy occurs in the office of the Chief Election Commissioner, the 143[total membership of the Parliamentary committee shall consist of] the members from the Senate only and the foregoing provisions of this clause shall, mutatis mutandis, apply.

3. The Commissioner shall have such powers and functions as are conferred on him by the Constitution and law.