ISLAMABAD: Muhammad Sikandar Sultan Raja has sworn in as the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) on Monday.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmad administered him the oath at a ceremony at the Supreme Court in Islamabad. Muhammad Sikandar Sultan is a former bureaucrat.
“This is a big responsibility and a national cause. I will try to fulfill the responsibilities of my post and improve the standards of the ECP,” he said in a statement following the oath-taking ceremony.
He was chosen to head the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) by a parliamentary committee comprising government and opposition members following the retirement of Sardar Raza Khan from the seat last month.
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A consensus decision to this effect was taken at the meeting of the parliamentary committee on appointment of Chief Election Commissioner and the members of the Election Commission in Islamabad on Jan 21.
The meeting had also agreed to appoint Nisar Durrani as member of Election Commission from Sindh and Shah Muhammad Jatoi as its member from Balochistan.
Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari had said it was a matter of great satisfaction that the parliament settled the matter with consensus.
On Nov 29, 2019, Opposition leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif had recommended three names for the post of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) to PM Imran Khan.
Shebaz had recommended the names of Nasir Mahmood Khose, Jalil Abbas Jilani and Akhlaq Ahmad Tarar through a letter sent to the premier on November 25.
In Nov 2018, Sultan Raja had assumed the charge of secretary Ministry of Railways.
