ISLAMABAD – Veteran jurist Fakhruddin G Ebrahim took oath as Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan on Monday.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry administered the oath at a ceremony held at the Supreme Court building. Apex Court judges, members of the Election Commission and senior advocates were present at the ceremony.
After taking oath of the office, the new Chief Election Commissioner met the members of Election Commission and also addressed the officers/officials.
In his speech, he said that Pakistan is now at a stage where it will be determined what kind of State we like to have and what sort of country we like our generation to live in.
The CEC said: “It has been my dream to present a prosperous and democratic Pakistan to our new generation and Election Commission could make our dream true. We have only one-point agenda and that is public justice through free, fair, transparent and impartial elections so that nobody should ever be able to raise finger at its impartiality and all employees of the ECP should work to achieve that goal.” “Democracy is a philosophy leading to a democratic system and this can only be achieved through the process of election and to hold free and fair elections, we will follow the Constitution and law,” he added.
The veteran jurist said it is the last mission of his life to hold forthcoming general elections in free, fair and transparent manner. “I am an octogenarian but at the same time one must realise that I have vast experience of life so the old age has nothing to do with my performance being CEC,“ Fakhruddin Ebrahim said while talking to media on the Supreme Court premises.
In reply to a question, he said that the Commission was ready to hold general elections; however, it is constitutional prerogative of the Prime Minister to announce the date of the elections. Responding to another question, the CEC responded that the Commission has good team and that he is confident in holding transparent and rigging-free elections.
Reiterating his stance, he said that holding of free and fair elections in the country would be a challenge saying we should take it as a mission, adding, that free, fair and transparent elections are imperative for the whole nation.
“To hold free, fair and transparent elections is my last mission. May Allah succeed me in my mission,” Fakhruddin said.
He maintained that his statement about early elections was his personal view and “now I am a public property.“
While asked that Parliamentarians have showed their reservations over new Code of Conduct, he said that he has not gone through the new code of conduct, adding, that the ECP was bound by the decisions of the Supreme Court.