Waqar Ahmed has written to President Dr Arif Alvi, requesting him to rethink his decision to remove Ahmed from his position as the Secretary. This follows a statement from the President’s Secretariat declaring that Ahmed’s services were no longer needed. The Secretariat further desired to post Ms Humaira Ahmed, a BPS-22 officer, in his place. This upheaval occurred a day after President Alvi highlighted he hadn’t signed two controversial bills, leading to nationwide chaos.
Ahmed’s Response to the Controversy
Ahmed emphasized in his letter that he wasn’t responsible for any irregularities concerning the bills. He contradicted allegations of delay and clarified that the relevant documents remained in the presidential chambers. Ahmed argued against the justice of his removal, pointing out discrepancies in handling the Pakistan Army Act (Amendment) Bill. He urged an investigation through agencies like the FIA to unearth any misconduct. Asserting his willingness to testify in court, he provided specific dates concerning the handling of the bills, referencing Article 75 of the Constitution, which mandates 10 days for the president to either approve or send back a bill.
President Alvi’s Subsequent Actions
In the wake of the concerns raised by Ahmed, President Alvi reportedly sent the contentious bill files back to the parliament. Additionally, it has been divulged that Humaira Ahmed has declined the position of the president’s secretary.
Speaking to reporters in London about the controversy surrounding President Arif Alvi, former prime minister and PML-N leader Shehbaz Sharif said an official inquiry should be launched into the incident.
The PML-N leader said a transparent inquiry should be held into Alvi’s conduct “to determine facts through a transparent probe”.
