Lahore, June 14: Noted academician Dr Mehdi Hasan has been elected as Chairperson of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) following Ms Asma Jahangir’s resignation, says an HRCP statement.

The full statement reads as follows:

Consequent upon Asma Jahangir’s decision to step down as Chairperson of HRCP, the governing body of the Commission has by overwhelming majority elected Dr Mehdi Hasan, the senior most vice-chairperson, as head of the organisation for the remaining period of the present office-bearers’ term. He will serve in this position till a new chairperson is elected in the spring of 2011. The HRCP Council members also elected Saleema Hashmi as vice-chairperson of the HRCP’s Punjab Chapter.

Although the HRCP Constitution does not prohibit an office-bearer from contesting the election of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), Asma Jahangir opted to resign in order to avoid the slightest possibility of conflict of interest thus upholding an HRCP tradition.

I. A. Rehman

Secretary-General