ECP orders removal of Cheema as PM’s aide

Electoral body takes action on plea seeking to remove cabinet members perceived as 'biased'

ISLAMABAD:

With the general elections just round the corner, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) took a significant step on Tuesday by ordering the removal of the advisor to the caretaker Prime Minister, Ahad Cheema.

The directives came in response to a plea filed by Advocate Syed Azizuddin Kakakhel, who sought the removal of perceived 'biased' members of the federal cabinet to ensure free, fair, and transparent elections, scheduled for February 8.

After a thorough hearing, the commission ruled that Ahad Cheema, having been part of the previous federal cabinet, should be immediately removed from his current post. The fate of Fawad Hasan Fawad, another figure mentioned in the petition, is set to be decided on December 21, 2023, as the electoral watchdog postponed the hearing to that date.

Advocate Kakakhel's petition targeted the removal of Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar and other cabinet members, including Ahad Cheema, Fawad Hasan Fawad, and former Principal Secretary to the PM, Syed Tauqir Hussain Shah.

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The petition argued that the presence of these individuals in the caretaker government would compromise the transparency of the upcoming elections.

The plea asserted, "If the government desires a transparent election, these individuals should be removed from their posts."

Last week, the commission accepted the petition, issuing notices to Caretaker PM Anwarul Haq Kakar, Ahad Cheema, Fawad Hasan Fawad, and Azizuddin Kakakhel, scheduling the hearing for December 19, 2023.

It's worth noting that the Election Commission of Pakistan had announced the schedule for the much-awaited general elections in 2024 on Friday, following intervention from the Supreme Court of Pakistan.