ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Election Commission has ordered the removal of Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) Ahad Cheema from his position immediately, citing he could influence the elections.
Ahad Cheema, a former civil servant who held a BPS-20 grade for over 15 years, previously served as an adviser to then-Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on establishment matters.
This decision comes after a hearing on petitions filed against federal ministers and advisers regarding their political affiliations.
Notices were issued by the election commission to Federal Minister for Privatization Fawad Hassan Fawad, Adviser Ahad Cheema, and Principal Secretary to the PM Tauqeer Shah.
In its verdict, the Election Commission of Pakistan directed the secretary of the cabinet division to remove Ahad Cheema from his role as SAPM. The electoral body stated that his previous involvement in the former cabinet and his presence in the current caretaker cabinet could potentially ‘impact’ the election results.
Ahad Cheema, the former Lahore Development Authority (LDA) chief, was recently acquitted by an accountability court in a case related to assets beyond known sources of income.
