ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has declared maintainable a petition seeking removal of “biased” members of the federal cabinet to ensure the conduct of free, fair and transparent general elections.

The petition, submitted by Advocate Syed Azizud Din Kaka Khel, which called for the removal of caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar and certain cabinet members, was scheduled for a preliminary hearing before the ECP on October 10. The decision regarding its maintainability was reserved.

The petition asked the ECP to remove Ahad Cheema, Fawad Hasan Fawad and former principal secretary to PM Syed Toqeer Hussain from their posts, stating that the presence of these individuals in the caretaker government makes it impossible to ensure the transparency of elections.

“If the government wants a transparent election, these people should be removed from their positions,” the petition reads.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2023