Syed Asif Hussain replaces Omar Hamid Khan as ECP secretary

• Election commission notifies major reshuffle of senior officers.
• Replaces Punjab and Balochistan election commissioners.
• Electoral body removes M Farid Afridi as ADG Elections I.

ISLAMABAD: Almost a week after Omar Hamid Khan stepped down as Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) secretary, the electoral body Tuesday appointed Syed Asif Hussain to the key post ahead of the February 8 polls.

The development comes after Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja approved Khan's — who served as the electoral body's secretary from July 2021 to January 2024 — resignation while waiving the one-month notice period for the veteran bureaucrat.

Earlier this month, Khan — a retired grade 22 officer of the Secretariat Group who had served as the special secretary of finance, secretary Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and national food security — had stepped down from the key post owing to health concerns, with the ECP confirming that the senior officer was on medical rest due to some health issues.

Earlier, the top electoral body, in a statement, had acknowledged that Khan had been bad for a few days and that he would perform his duties if his health allowed him such.

"ECP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan is an intelligent and hardworking officer, who is performing his duties with diligence. He is currently on medical rest due to some health issues. He will return to his duties immediately after his health recovery," the statement from the ECP read.

Meanwhile, the CEC has appointed Hussain, who was serving as a special secretary, as the ECP's new Secretary. The newly appointed ECP official had earlier undertaken the said additional charge in light of Khan's absence.

Furthermore, the electoral body has also notified multiple transfers and postings of officers in the "public interest".

The ECP has appointed Saeed Gul, who was serving as Punjab's Provincial Election Commissioner, as Director General Elections Cell & Head of Elections Wing at the electoral body's Islamabad secretariat.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Farid Afridi, who was serving as Additional Director General Elections I, has replaced Aijaz Anwer Chohan as the new Provincial Election Commissioner for Balochistan — with Chohan being appointed as Punjab's Election Commissioner.