ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday notified the appointment of Dr Akhtar Nazir as the Secretary ECP on deputation basis to replace Zafar Iqbal Hussain who has been appointed as Special Secretary ECP.

Both are officers in Basic Scale (BS) 21. Nazir is an officer of Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) whose services have been surrendered by the federal government to the ECP on deputation. He was serving as Secretary Senate before his appointment at the ECP. Hussain is a career ECP officer. The ECP issued two separate notifications respectively to notify the appointment of its new secretary and special secretary.

Zafar Iqbal Hussain was appointed Secretary ECP on December 30 last year, following the retirement of Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad on December 31. Hussain had served as the Provincial Election Commissioner (PEC) in Pakistan’s largest province of Punjab before his appointment as the Secretary ECP

Dr Akhtar Nazir had taken charge as Secretary Senate on January 1 this year following the retirement of Muhammad Anwar. He served as Chief Secretary Balochistan prior to his appointment as the Secretary Senate. Following Nazir’s appointment at ECP, his replacement at the Senate was not immediately announced. —SARDAR SIKANDER SHAHEEN