The Election Commission of Pakistan has regained its full strength after two new members were sworn into office at Islamabad Headquarters on Wednesday.

ECP Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Raja Sultan administered the oath to Babar Hassan Bharwana and Justice (retd) Ikramullah Khan as members for Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa respectively.

The ceremony was attended by ECP members, officials and families of the members.

The ECP comprises a chief election commissioner and four members, one from each province, under the Constitution.

The new appointments were made after at least 10 months followed by the retirement of Justice Altaf Ibrahim Qureshi, a member from Punjab, and Justice (retd) Irshad Qaiser, a member from KP, on July 26, 2021.

CEC talks to media

CEC Sultan said the commission took decisions without any fear and according to the law and Constitution. “The decision related to next general election will be taken by the government, while the commission is ready for the polls,” he said, while informally talking to media persons in Islamabad.

He said former deputy speaker Qasim Khan Suri did not send cases of the MNAs who have resigned from the National Assembly to the ECP.

Holding free, fair and unbiased elections is the responsibility of the commission, he added.

Talking about delimitations ahead of the next elections, Sultan said the exercise could not be performed before the official publication of the census results. “Delimitations can be performed on time, if the commission receives results of digital census by December. Otherwise the next polls will be held on the basis of 2017 census.”

Babar Hassan Bharwana

Bharwana has served the government of Punjab as secretary of forestry, wildlife, fisheries and irrigation.

He also served as the director-general of local government and community development from August 2007 to May 2008.

The new ECP member has also served as additional secretary of home, irrigation, power and environment departments. He worked as the district coordination officer of Vehari as well.

Justice (retd) Ikramullah Khan

Ikramullah, who hails from Swat, remained the additional advocate general from April 2008 to Oct 2009.

He retired as a judge of the Peshawar High Court in December 2020.