• ECP asks rulers to avoid hiring those with ‘known political allegiances’
• Letter comes after PPP presser assailing ex-bureaucrats’ induction

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: A day after former principal secretary to ex-PM Nawaz Sharif, Fawad Hasan Fawad, was inducted into the caretaker cabinet, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), in a letter to the caretaker prime minister’s secretary, advised the interim government to refrain from inducting “persons of known political allegiance”.

The letter is addressed to Tauqir Shah, the caretaker PM’s principal secretary, and referred to reservations expressed by a political party which blamed the caretaker government for carrying on the legacy of the previous political regime.

“A recent press conference held by a political party is a pointer in this direction, whereby they have blamed the caretaker government of carrying on with the previous political legacy,” the ECP said in the letter that bore the signature of Special Secretary Zafar Iqbal Hussain.

This was a reference to a presser, held by PPP leaders in Lahore on Wednesday, where they had assailed the induction of former bureaucrats such as Fawad Hasan Fawad and Ahad Cheema in the caretaker cabinet.

While “selecting a member of the [caretaker] cabinet due care should be exercised to avoid persons of known political allegiance”, the letter added.

Similarly, it also urged caution while selecting senior civil servants for the appointment to key positions for the sake of a neutral caretaker set-up.

The letter added Article 218 (3) mandated the ECP to conduct the election and to make arrangements to ensure that the election is conducted in accordance with law.

“This provision is actually a clarion call to ensure that a level playing field is provided to all political parties and contesting candidates for elections,” it read.

Though the ECP’s letter comes a day after the induction of Fawad Hasan Fawad, the interim cabinet has a number of ministers known for their close association with the PML-N. They include Ahad Cheema, Sami Saeed, Umar Saif, Shahid Ashraf Tarar, and Jahanzaib Khan.

The presence of former close aides of the Sharif brothers in the caretaker set-up has strengthened the perception that it was an “extension” of the previous government led by the PML-N.

Even though there are also some PPP men in the cabinet, the increasing number of ministers ostensibly close to the PML-N has raised many an eyebrow; the PPP, a former ally of the PML-N, has also started questioning the caretaker setup’s decisions favouring the PML-N.

“The inclusion of Fawad Hasan Fawad, who was the principal secretary to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from 2015 to 2017, ahead of his homecoming in October, has sent a clear message that the PML-N supreme leader has the blessings of the powerful circles and placement of his confidant in the federal cabinet will ensure the protection of his interests,” a party insider told Dawn on Wednesday.

Mr Hasan was arrested in 2018 by NAB in the Ashiana Housing scam and income beyond means case. In 2020, he got bail and this February he was acquitted of all charges in the assets beyond means and the Ashiana Housing cases. “

“Since Mr Hasan remained staun­chly loyal to the elder Sharif even in captivity and has immense experience in spearheading multiple infrastructure and energy projects, the latter wanted him in the caretaker cabinet to work along with PM Kakar to ensure his party’s policies and interests are followed and protected,” he said.

On the other hand, Dr Taqueer Shah, who was principal secretary to former PM Shehbaz Sharif, is currently serving PM Kakar in the same position.

Similarly, Ahad Cheema, who is an adviser to the PM on the Establishment Division, was also a special assistant in the Shehbaz government in the Centre. He is perhaps the only exception who was part of the PDM government and is also Mr Kakar’s cabinet member.

Mr Cheema, a Grade-19 officer and head of the Lahore Development Autho­rity (LDA) was arrested by NAB in 2018 in Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing Scheme and LDA-City scams and assets beyond me­­ans case. He was released on bail in 2021. After his release, Cheema resigned from government service and Shehbaz Sharif inducted him in his cabinet in 2022.

Federal caretaker IT Minister Umar Saif is yet another of Shehbaz Sharif’s blue-eyed technocrats who served in his government in Punjab as the Pun­jab Information Technology Board head.

A source in the Sharif family clai­med that Fawad Hasan Fawad was not a favourite of Nawaz Sharif anymore. “Had he been a favourite of Nawaz, he would have been in Shehbaz’s cabinet,” he said.

When asked about the ECP’s perception, caretaker information minister Murtaza Solangi told Dawn that he did not know whether the ECP’s letter to the principal secretary to the PM was ‘genuine’ or not.

“The principal secretary can confirm in this regard. If genuine, the person who is addressed in the ‘leaked’ letter will respond to it,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2023