ISLAMABAD: Mukhtar Javed, a renowned and seasoned social activist, has been elected as the new chairperson of Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) for a three-year term. Fafen’s 20-member national council elected the new chairperson through vote. Soon after his election, Mr Javed took the oath of his office. The outgoing chairperson, Mossarat Qadeem, and all other 18 members of the council congratulated Mr Javed on assuming the office of chairperson. Mr Javed is a well-known and seasoned civil society activist, writer and a poet and is among the founding members of Fafen. During his development career that spanned over 30 years, Mr Javed has championed the causes of democracy, inclusive governance and sustainable development. Mr Javed heads Welfare Association Jared (WAJ), a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-based not-for-profit organisation, which also manages the Hazara Abaseen Network (HAN). HAN is one of the 20 regional networks that make Fafen. Speaking after his election, Mr Javed said he would invest his energies in advancing electoral, legislative and local governance reforms, which are essential for democratic consolidation in Pakistan. He emphasised maintaining nonpartisanship as a core value the network cherishes and builds upon in its quest for improving country’s electoral framework through observation, research and advocacy. He congratulated the outgoing chairperson for steering the network through the challenging years of political polarisation and maintaining its credibility as a nonpartisan civil society network.