Alvi removes presidential secretary over bills controversy

A day after President Dr Arif Alvi's startling revelation about the signing of the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill and the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, the President’s Secretariat on Monday wrote to the principal secretary to the prime minister that the services of serving secretary to the president were no more required.

"The services of Mr Waqar Ahmed, Secretary to the President, are no more required and are surrendered to the Establishment Division, immediately," a statement issued by the President’s Secretariat read.

"It has also been desired that Ms Humaira Ahmed, a BPS-22 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service, may be posted as Secretary to the President," the statement added.

President Alvi created a stir on Sunday by claiming that he had not signed the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill and the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, attributing the confusion to his staff's actions. This revelation plunged the country into a state of chaos.

In a social media post, the president vehemently denied giving his assent to the two bills. He admitted, however, that his staff failed to return the bills to parliament within the stipulated 10-day timeframe mandated by Article 75 of the Constitution.

He accused his staff of not only deceiving him but also undermining his authority, effectively concealing the fact that the bills had not been returned.

Alvi said that he found out on Sunday that the bills had not been returned within the stipulated timeframe, adding that on his repeated inquiries from his staff, he got the assurance every time that the bills were returned.

But soon after the president announced that he no longer needed the services of his secretary, Waqar Ahmed wrote a letter to the president stating the relevant facts related to the two bills, urging the president to withdraw his direction that the secretary’s services be returned to the Establishment Division.

Read Official Secrets, Army Act amendment bills become law

In the letter, Ahmed also offered that the matter might be investigated through the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) or any other investigation agency to fix responsibility on the officials concerned, if any.

As per Ahmed’s letter, he had received the army and secrets bills on Aug 2 and 8, respectively, saying he subsequently sent the bills along with the file, diary number, and a note mentioning deadlines – Aug 11 and 17, respectively – to the president.

Ahmed said neither the president approved both the bills nor gave any written orders to return the bills to parliament, adding that both the bills remained at the president’s office till Aug 21.

Ahmed said he neither committed any mistake nor delayed the matter and, therefore, the president’s decision to return his services to the Establishment Division was unjustified.

He also said that he could present the record to prove his innocence if any court called him, adding that the president was aware that he had not made any mistake.

“You are aware of all the facts about the above-mentioned two bills and the reality is that I am neither responsible for delay nor undermined the office of the Honorable President,” Ahmed stated. “I can give my statement on oath.”

The caretaker government had defended the enactment of the bills, saying that the bills became law on the maturity of the 10-day period for presidential assent.

Caretaker Law Minister Ahmad Irfan Aslam spoke at a joint news conference with Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi on Monday, shortly after President Arif Alvi denied that he assented to the two important pieces of legislation.

“The president had the option to raise objections to the bills within the stipulated timeframe but he chose not to, leading to the automatic enactment of the bills into law,” Aslam told the news conference.

He stated that the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill was received by the Presidency on Aug 2, while the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill reached the president on Aug 8.

“The president had only two choices [after receiving the bills]: approve the bills or send them back with objections. No third option exists, and if the bills are not returned, they become law automatically after 10 days,” he added.