Pakistan election body says it is ‘fully functional’ amid reports of secretary’s resignation

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said on Sunday it was “fully functional” as a section of local media reported about the resignation of its secretary, Omar Hamid Khan, on medical grounds.
The reports about Khan’s resignation raised concerns about the conduct of general elections, scheduled to be held on February 8, in the South Asian country.
The elections were originally due to be held in November, but they were delayed to February due to fresh demarcation of constituencies under a new census.
“The Election Commission of Pakistan secretary is an intelligent and hardworking officer and he is doing the commission’s work really well,” the ECP said, adding Khan had been on “medical rest” before as well and he would discharge his duties soon if his health allowed.
“The election commission is fully functional and there is no hindrance in way of its duty.”
The ECP said its offices were working even on holidays and in the absence of Khan, both special secretaries of the commission were running the affairs in an efficient manner.
The development comes days after Pakistan’s Senate approved a resolution to further delay the elections. However, a lawmaker belonging to Pakistan’s rightwing Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party on Saturday submitted another resolution seeking the upcoming general elections to be held as per the schedule on Feb. 8.
Pakistan is currently being run by a caretaker government under interim Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar that is meant to oversee a general election.
Caretakers are usually limited to overseeing elections, but Kakar’s set-up is the most empowered in Pakistan’s history thanks to a recent legislation that allows it to make policy decisions on economic matters.
The legislation was aimed at keeping on track the conditions for a $3 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout secured in June.
Political analysts fear that a prolonged period without an elected government would allow the military, which has ruled Pakistan for over three decades since independence in 1947, to consolidate its control.