ISLAMABAD: The Secretary of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Omar Hamid Khan, has resigned from his position citing health reasons.
However, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Sikandar Sultan, has not yet accepted Khan's resignation as the secretary of the electoral body.
This development occurs just weeks before the scheduled general elections on February 8, amidst allegations from prominent political players, including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), about a lack of a level playing field.
Meanwhile, Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi has said the Election Commission of Pakistan is fully functional and there is no crisis of any kind.
In a post on social media platform X, he urged the general public not to give any attention to rumors. Confirming the sickness of Secretary ECP Omar Hamid Khan, he prayed his early and complete recovery.
The Minister also shared a press release of the Election Commission, which states that Omar Hamid Khan is an intelligent and hardworking officer and is performing his responsibilities well.
It further said Omar Hamid Khan has been facing some health issues for last few days. It added the secretary has been on medical leave in the past as well. The commission maintained that Omar Hamid Khan would soon resume his responsibilities if his health allows.
The ECP underlined that the commission is fully functional and there is no impediment or problem to this respect. The ECP and its offices are doing their job even during vacations.
It said both the two special secretaries of the commission are running affairs of the ECP in the absence of the Secretary.
Earlier in the day, ECP Special Secretary Dr. Syed Asif Hussain rejected the PTI's claim that they were not provided a fair environment to participate in election-related activities.
The ECP submitted a written response to the Supreme Court, which the PTI had approached seeking contempt proceedings against the electoral body. The ECP requested the dismissal of the contempt petition with costs.
Addressing concerns about the upcoming general elections, the election commission clarified that Secretary Omar Hamid Khan was on medical rest due to health issues and would resume duties after recovery.
The spokesperson assured that the Special Secretary, Dr. Syed Asif Hussain, was handling election-related tasks in the absence of the secretary.
Despite rumors creating doubts about the timely conduct of the polls, the commission emphasized that it was fully functional and facing no obstacles in its responsibilities.
The clarification also stated that all ECP offices were operational even during the holidays leading up to the general polls.
Omar Hamid Khan, a retired grade 22 officer of the Secretariat Group, took on the role of ECP secretary in July 2021 on a contractual basis. With over 30 years of experience in socioeconomic analysis on both international and domestic issues, Khan has served in various capacities, including special secretary of finance, secretary of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), national food security, and spokesperson for the interior ministry.
Last year in July, CEC Raja extended Khan's tenure as the ECP secretary for one year. Khan holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Government College Lahore and a Master of Science in Zoology from the University of Punjab, completed in 1982 and 1986, respectively.
