Pakistan's election commissioner takes oath

Pakistan's first independent election commissioner was sworn into office Monday ahead of general elections widely expected within months.

Fakhurddin Ebrahim, a former judge and ex-governor of southern province Sindh took oath before Supreme Court chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, the court said.

Ebrahim's appointment to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has been welcomed by the ruling coalition and political opposition parties.

"It has been my dream to present a prosperous and democratic Pakistan to our new generation," the new commissioner said.

"We have only one point agenda and that is public justice through free, fair, transparent and impartial elections so that no one should ever be able to raise finger on its impartiality and all employees of the ECP should work to achieve that goal."

Pakistan's president previously had the power to appoint the election commissioner, but a constitutional amendment in 2010 demanded an independent election commission and commissioner.

Ebrahim was selected by a parliamentary committee.

General elections are due to be held by February 2013, when the current parliament would become the first in Pakistan to complete an elected, full five-year mandate.

Some observers suggest they could be brought forward to later this year with the government under extreme pressure from the Supreme Court to reopen corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.