ISLAMABAD: With general polls a month away, a fresh controversy has hit the already beleaguered electoral body amidst the reports of resignation of its Secretary Omar Hamid Khan.
On the other hand, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), in an apparently vague statement issued on Sunday, neither confirmed nor denied that the secretary stepped down, but confirmed that he was on “medical rest” due to poor health— what seems to be an implied admittance that Khan is no more at the helm.
“The secretary ECP is an intelligent and hardworking officer. He is performing his duties in a very good manner. However, he is facing health issues for the last few days. He has been on the medial rest before,” an official statement from the electoral organisation said.
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The secretary will resume his duties if his health so allows, the statement added. The secretary ECP was not available to comment on the issue. Following his reported resignation, the ECP has assigned his responsibilities to the two special secretaries; Special Secretary-I Syed Asif Hussain and Special Secretary-II Zafar Iqbal Hussain, it is learnt.
Requesting anonymity, a former ECP secretary expressed surprise over the development. “Holding free and fair general elections is the most important responsibility of the ECP.
Why the secretary ECP was allowed to continue if he had health issues is something that is really surprising. And his departure from the office just a month before the general elections is even more surprising,“ he told Business Recorder.
Presently, the ECP is faced with the ire of the legal fraternity and some political forces over its alleged mishandling of issues related to general elections.
Last month, the ECP issued a statement suggesting that Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja had the “unflinching confidence” of the ECP members.
The statement regarding CEC did not mention the context in which it was issued. Conspicuously, the unusual press release came at a time when the top lawyer bodies as well as mainstream political parties lambasted the ECP over issues concerning the general elections.
Also, last month, Supreme Court Bar Association, Pakistan Bar Council, Punjab Bar Council and Sindh High Court Bar Association voiced serious concerns over the role of the incumbent CEC in dealing with the electoral affairs, in the separate statements issued by them.
The SCBA even demanded the resignation of CEC Raja. “The SCBA believes that the present CEC should go home, as fair and impartial elections with equal opportunity for all are not possible under his command,” it said in a statement issued in December.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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