President Alvi seeks removal of Secretary Waqar Ahmed

ISLAMABAD: A day after President Dr Arif Alvi denied signing Official Secrets Act and the Pakistan Army Act, the President’s Secretariat on Monday said the services of Secretary Waqar Ahmed were “no more required”, ARY News reported.

“In view of the definite statement of yesterday, President’s Secretariat has written a letter to Principal Secretary to Prime Minister that the services of Mr Waqar Ahmed, Secretary to President, are no more required and are surrendered to the Establishment Division, immediately,” said a statement posted by the President of Pakistan’s official account on X.

“It has also been desired that Ms Humaira Ahmed, a BPS-22 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service, may be posted as Secretary to the President,” the statement added.

It has also been desired that Ms. Humaira Ahmed, a BPS-22 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service, may be posted as Secretary to the President.

— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) August 21, 2023

President Alvi created a stir on Sunday by claiming that he had not signed the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill and the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill — a day after they became acts of parliament, as he “disagreed with these laws”.

In a post on social media platform X, Alvi said: “As God is my witness, I did not sign Official Secrets Amendment Bill, 2023 and Pakistan Army Amendment Bill, 2023 as I disagreed with these laws.”

The president said he asked his staff to return the bills unsigned within the stipulated time to make them “uneffective”.

“I confirmed from them many times that whether they have been returned and was assured that they were. However, I have found out today that my staff undermined my will and command. As Allah knows all, He will forgive Insha’Allah. But I ask forgiveness from those who will be affected,” the president said.

According to ARY News report, President Arif Alvi on August 19 [Saturday] signed the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and Pakistan Army Act (Amendment) Bill 2023.

Both the bills were passed by the parliament during the tenure of the coalition government and were sent to President Alvi for ratification.

Gazette notifications

Hours after President Alvi’s statement, a gazette notification issued by the Senate Secretariat surfaced, stating that the two bills were “deemed to have been assented by the president”.

According to the notification, the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was deemed to have been approved by the president with effect from August 17 and the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2023 from August 11.

‘Bills became law after non-objection from President’

Earlier in the day, Caretaker Law Minister Ahmed Irfan Aslam said that a bill automatically assumes the status of law if the president neither approves nor rejects a bill within a 10-day timeframe.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, the caretaker law minister claimed that Official Secrets Act and the Pakistan Army Act were not received by his ministry from the Aiwan-e-Sadr [President’s House].

“President Alvi had the option to raise objections to the bills within the stipulated timeframe but chose not to, leading to the automatic enactment of the bills into law,” Ahmed Irfan Aslam stated.

He pointed out that the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill was received by the Presidential Palace on August 2, while the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill reached the president on August 8.

“The president had only two choices: to approve the bills or send them back with objections. No third option exists, and if the bills are not returned, they become law automatically within ten days,” he added.