MUZAFFARABAD: Retired Ghulam Mustafa Mughal took the oath as the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of Azad Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, filling a post that had remained vacant for over a year.
The oath was administered by AJK Chief Justice Raja Saeed Akram at the Supreme Court building, in the presence of senior civil servants and members of the legal fraternity.
The CEC office became vacant after the term of retired Justice Abdul Rashid Sulehria ended on January 13 last year. Justice Mughal’s appointment was formally notified by the AJK government on Wednesday, following advice from the chairman of the AJK Council — the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Justice Mughal, over 70, previously served as CEC from February 2016 to February 2019 while holding positions in the AJK High Court and later the Supreme Court. His appointment is expected to reassure stakeholders about the timely conduct of AJK’s general elections, scheduled for July this year.
At the ceremony, Justice Mughal declined media questions, stating he would engage with journalists after receiving detailed briefings from election officials.