Pakistan's top election body orders removal of PM's advisor

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Establishment Ahad Cheema is believed to be close to the PML-N and he was kept in jail on the charges of corruption during the government of Imran Khan but later was exonerated.

Islamabad: Pakistan's top election body on Tuesday ordered the removal of an advisor to the prime minister on the ground of his alleged ties with a leading political party.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Establishment Ahad Cheema is believed to be close to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and he was kept in jail on the charges of corruption during the government of Imran Khan but later was exonerated.

A complaint against Cheema and two other top officials was filed with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) by Advocate Syed Azizud Din Kaka Khel in October who argued that the transparency of elections was not possible due to these individuals being part of the caretaker government.

"If the government wants a transparent election, these people should be removed from their positions,” the petition said.

Apart from Cheema, the complainant had also sought removal of Privatisation and Inter-provincial Coordination Minister Fawad Hassan Fawad and Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr Tauqeer Hussain Shah.

The ECP after hearing arguments stated that the pleas against Cheema was “reasonable and is accepted” on the basis that he had been a part of the previous government and could thus “influence the holding of free, fair and transparent elections” if he continued in his post.

The ECP directed that Cheema be removed from his position and ordered the Cabinet Division secretary to immediately issue the notification on the matter.

Interestingly, the caretaker cabinet has other known faces having links with the PML-N, including Sami Saeed, Umar Saif, Shahid Ashraf Tarar and Jahanzaib Khan.

They are still part of the government despite a clear stance by the ECP against their current assignment.

In September, the ECP had advised the interim government to refrain from inducting “persons of known political allegiance” in a letter to the caretaker prime minister’s secretary.

The caretaker government works as a stopgap arrangement during elections with the mandate to support the ECP in organizing free and fair elections.

Pakistan is headed to the general elections scheduled to be held on February 8.