Election Commission Secretary Ishtiaq Ahmad Khan, who is under a two-year contract, is expected to tender his resignation after the appointment of new chief election commissioner.
According to reports, the secretary was all set to resign the day chief election commissioner Fakhruddin G Ebrahim tendered his resignation, however, senior officials of the commission persuaded the secretary to change his decision to avoid further crisis.
They said the secretary, an honest officer with a clean slate, was highly disappointed over unnecessary criticism and political pressure on the commission.
He had twice resigned earlier on similar grounds but was persuaded to withdraw the resignation.
The sources further said that Khan did not go for the extreme step in the larger national interest as the by-elections scheduled for August 22 would have had been affected in the absence of the CEC and the secretary.
Meanwhile the secretary attended office on Monday and got briefings from the officers about arrangements being made for by-elections and local government elections.
Some officials who requested anonymity said Khan wanted to remove the impression that he was going to resign as was being speculated in the media and his body language was giving the impression that he would complete his tenure that ends in October 2013.
