Pakistan's new Chief Election Commissioner Justice (Retd) Qazi Muhammad assumed charge Thursday promising to hold general elections as scheduled in 2007 in a free and fair manner.
"It is my legal and constitutional responsibility to hold free, fair and transparent election," Farooq, appointed by President Pervez Musharraf for the top job, told the media after his swearing-in ceremony in Islamabad.
Apparently referring to the remarks made by US President George W Bush during his recent visit to Islamabad, the new CEC said all eyes were on the elections to be held in Pakistan and that it was his responsibility to ensure free and transparent polls.
He said he felt that holding general elections was not only being demanded at the national level, but also internationally.
Though there was uncertainty about the government holding polls as scheduled, Bush during his Pakistan visit had said that he believed Musharraf would organise elections in 2007 as scheduled.
The polls for the national and four provincial assemblies are scheduled to be held in October 2007.
Free and fair elections were the main demand of Pakistan's political parties that sharply criticised the fairness of the previous chief election commissioners.
Farooq, a retired Supreme Court justice, succeeds a serving judge of the apex court Justice Dogar, who acted as acting CEC for over a year.
Farooq said everybody knew that his personal record was clear and that he always tried to carry out his duty in a justified manner.
Denying any pressure on him, he said he would be answerable not only to the nation, but also to God, if he did not fulfil his constitutional responsibility.
Earlier, he was sworn-in in a simple ceremony at the Ceremonial Hall of the Supreme Court by Pakistan's Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. The term of the CEC in Pakistan is for three years.
