President approves removal of Ahad Cheema as PM's advisor

ECP had ordered Cheema's removal as PM's aide last week

President Dr Arif Alvi on Monday approved the removal of the advisor to the Caretaker Prime Minister, Ahad Cheema.

On the instruction of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the caretaker prime minister sent the summary to the president for the removal of Cheema from his post.

Dr Alvi approved the removal of Cheema on the advice of the prime minister under Article 48 of the Constitution.

صدر مملکت ڈاکٹر عارف علوی نے احد خان چیمہ کو وزیرِ اعظم کے مشیر برائے ایسٹبلشمنٹ کے عہدے سے ہٹانے کی منظوری دے دی

نگران وزیراعظم نے الیکشن کمیشن آف پاکستان کی ہدایت پر احد خان چیمہ کو عہدے سے ہٹانے کی سمری صدر مملکت کو ارسال کی تھی pic.twitter.com/xkjGbjhKgg

— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) December 25, 2023

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.

Also read: ECP moves to put in place poll plan

After a thorough hearing, the ECP ruled that Ahad Cheema, having been part of the previous federal cabinet, should be immediately removed from his current post.

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.

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."