ISLAMABAD, Feb 15: Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, a judge of the Supreme Court, was sworn in as Acting Chief Election Commissioner here on Tuesday.

Chief Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui administered the oath of office to Justice Dogar in a ceremony held at the apex court.

The ceremony was also attended by judges of the Supreme Court, Attorney-General Makhdoom Ali Khan, Secretary of Election Commission Kanwar Dilshad, Registrar of the Supreme Court M A Farooqi, and a large number of senior advocates and government officers.

Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of Pakistan Bar Council, Rashid A Razvi termed the appointment of acting CEC on a permanent post 'as violation of both Al Jihad and Sharaf Faridi cases in which the Supreme Court had held that regular appointment should be made on a permanent post'.

The acting CEC was always appointed when the incumbent CEC was absent either due to ill health or when he was abroad, Mr Razvi said, adding that in the present case, the situation was totally different since the former CEC had retired on January 15, and a permanent post was lying vacant for the past many days.