The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has removed Ahad Cheema from the caretaker government on the grounds that he was a part of the Shehbaz Sharif government; three cabinet members from that government are still in place and are also a part of the interim administration.
Prior to the dissolution of parliament, PM Shehbaz had Ahad Cheema as an adviser on the Establishment Division. When caretaker PM Anwaarul Haq Kakar appointed him to his own cabinet, he was given the same portfolio.
Having noted a complaint, the ECP ordered his dismissal to protect the impartiality of the provisional administration. Complaint against Fawad Hassan Fawad, the Minister for Privatization, is still pending. He did not work for the Shehbaz administration.
However, there are three individuals who served in the previous government and have also been retained in the caretaker setup. Even two of them worked for Imran Khan’s administration. Those people are Fahd Haroon and Maulana Tahir Ashrafi. The former holds the position of Special Representative of the Prime Minister for Religious Harmony and the Middle East Pakistani Diaspora. Three PMs have changed but his status and portfolio have remained the same.
Fahd Haroon is an additional example. He has worked with Imran Khan, Shehbaz Sharif, and now Anwaarul Haq Kakar as the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Digital Media.
Jawad Sohrab Malik is one step down. He couldn’t find space in Imran’s cabinet but remained as SAPM on Overseas Pakistanis with Shehbaz and has retained the slot in the caretaker administration. Jawad is the maternal nephew of former Senate chairman and former interim prime minister, Mohammadmian Soomro. Jawad’s mother is involved in the local politics of her hometown, Jacobabad.
The question arises as to why ECP has not taken action against them. Answering to this, one official said that the ECP took up the matter of Ahad and Fawad because complaints were filed against them, which has not happened in the case of the above-named individuals. However, he was not aware whether ECP could take suo moto notice of this. As far as Fawad’s matter is concerned, the ECP will likely conclude it today (Thursday) either against or in favour of him.
However, Fawad’s case is entirely different from Ahad’s. The former didn’t serve in the Shehbaz government dissolved last year on the completion of the term of parliament. He was the Principal secretary to PM Nawaz Sharif and later to Shahid Khaqan Abbasi whose tenure ended in 2018.
