The country’s first independent chief election commissioner was sworn into office on Monday, as he reiterated to hold the upcoming general election in a free, fair, impartial and transparent manner.
“It is my last mission. May Allah grant me success in my mission,” Fakhruddin G Ebrahim commented during a brief talk with reporters after taking oath as the CEC.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry administered the oath at a ceremony held at the Supreme Court building. “It has been my dream to present a prosperous and democratic Pakistan to our new generation,” the new commissioner said. “We have only one point agenda and that is public justice through free, fair, transparent and impartial elections so that no one should ever be able to raise finger on its impartiality and all employees of the ECP should work to achieve that goal.”
He said, “It is a challenge. Either we take it as a mission or forget it. But this success is imperative for the whole nation. It is my last wish. We need to do it and it will be done.”
Fakhruddin said all arrangements were at hand and the ECP was ready for general election.
“But the decision to hold the election has to come from the government. The ECP is prepared for polls as stated by my predecessor. But, under the constitution, the decision has to be made by the PM and the government,” he said.
The CEC said his statement about early election was his personal view. “Now I am a public property. Whenever I am given a task, I have performed well. I have a good team at Election Commission and things will be better.”
When asked about the reservations of the parliamentarians about new code of conduct, the CEC said, “I have not seen it yet. Why are you in a hurry? You need not worry.” But, at the same time he said the ECP was bound by the decisions of the Supreme Court.
