Removal from cabinet: ECP issues notices to Fawad, Ahad Cheema, Tauqeer

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has maintained petition, seeking removal of alleged partisan ministers and advisers from their posts.

The Election Commission has issued notices to caretaker Federal Minister Fawad Hassan Fawad, Advisor Ahad Cheema and Secretary Tauqeer Shah. The forum had reserved the verdict on October 10 on the request of a local lawyer Azizuddin Kakakhel in the Election Commission, a few days back.

In the petition, caretaker federal minister Fawad Hassan Fawad and adviser Ahad Cheema were requested to be removed by the electoral body. The petition says that transparency of elections is not possible due to these persons being in the caretaker government. He contended in the petition that Secretary to the caretaker Prime Minister, Tauqeer Shah has been the secretary to the former prime minister, while according to Article 218 the caretaker setup needs to be neutral.

The petitioner had prayed that PM’s secretary Tauqeer Shah was previously secretary to former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif. At this, the ECP had bench asked whether he was a retired or serving officer. The petitioner replied that he was given the post after he retired.

The chief election commissioner observed they had held important positions in the past, and their services may still be needed. To this, “God forbid, if he dies today, there will be no other servant,” the petitioner asked.

However, the chief election commissioner had remarked, “it is not necessary that those in the previous government cannot be impartial”. After hearing arguments last week, the bench reserved the verdict on the petition’s maintainability. The petitioner specifically mentioned Anwaarul Haq Kakar, Fawad Hasan Fawad, Ahad Cheema and Dr Tauqeer Shah and sought their removal.