Punjab suspends Ahad Cheema for three months

Move comes after arrest of bureaucrat in a housing scam

LAHORE: Punjab government has suspended Chief Executive Officer of Quaid-e-Azam Thermal Power (PVT) Limited Company Ahad Khan Cheema for three months.

Cheema was in physical remand with National Accountability Bureau (NAB) since February 21 after being arrested by the graft-buster for his alleged involvement in Lahore’s Ashiyana-i-Iqbal Housing Society scam, which caused quite a stir in the Punjab Chief Minister’s camp.

The notification issued on Friday stated that he has been suspended from the very date of NAB arrest, which was February 21.  He was suspended under section 5-1(i) of Government Servant Efficiency and Discipline Rules 1973.

Provincial Government initially stood by the Chief Minister’s officer Ahad Khan Chema and officially and publicly condemned his arrest. The immediate reaction of dismay and annoyance by the government came through Punjab Law Minister Rana Sana Ullah and provincial spokesperson Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan during a press conference.



However, Cheema was not backed by the Chief Minister of Punjab, who in his media interaction following his arrest clearly said, “If I can go before NAB for an inquiry of a case then I would not defend any one not doing so.” He chose his words very carefully regarding Ahad Khan’s case.

His arrest also sent a wave of panic amongst District Management Group (DMG) officers who protested against the arrest of their colleague. Senior bureaucrats even locked their offices to condemn his arrest. All means used to register protest by the DMG officers against NAB failed despite the backing of the senior most bureaucracy.

A senior government officer said that government has not distanced itself from Ahad Khan Chema and that his suspension was a requirement as per the rule. In response to a question, regarding government’s decision to suspend Cheema in a week or two after his arrest, the officer said that the working is slow in the government and therefore it takes a few days or weeks for a file to be processed.