The President House has taken the decision to remove Arif Alvi’s secretary from office. The decision was conveyed through a letter addressed to the principal secretary to the prime minister, in which the services of Waqar Ahmed, who held the position of the president’s secretary, were relinquished to the Establishment Division.
The letter explicitly stated that the services of Waqar Ahmed were deemed unnecessary and were surrendered to the Establishment Division with immediate effect. The letter also proposed the appointment of Humaira Ahmed, a BPS-22 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service, as the new secretary to the president.
This decision comes in the wake of President Arif Alvi’s recent statement on Sunday. In the statement, President Alvi denied his involvement in signing two critical bills into law – the Official Secrets (Amendment) Act 2023 and the Army (Amendment) Act 2023.
These bills had reportedly received approval from both the previous National Assembly and the Senate. However, President Alvi took to X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday to express his disagreement with the bills. He asserted that he had instructed his staff to return the bills unsigned within the stipulated timeframe, thereby rendering them ineffective. Despite his orders, President Alvi claimed that his staff did not comply and the bills automatically became laws.
President Alvi, in his tweet, sought forgiveness from those who would be affected by the unintended consequences of this situation. He stated, “As Allah knows all, He will forgive IA.” This statement reflects the president’s regret and concern over the situation that has unfolded.
Reacting to President Alvi’s denial of signing the bills, former finance minister Ishaq Dar criticized his handling of the matter. Dar emphasized that “minimum morality” dictated that President Alvi should take responsibility for the apparent mismanagement of his office and resign from his position.
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The removal of Waqar Ahmed as the president’s secretary and the subsequent controversy surrounding the bills have raised questions about the efficacy of the decision-making process within the President House. As the situation develops, many are closely watching to see how President Arif Alvi addresses the concerns raised and the impact this incident may have on his presidency.
