Following President Dr. Arif Alvi’s recent statement, the President’s Secretariat has communicated that Mr. Waqar Ahmed, the current Secretary to the President, is no longer required and his services have been surrendered to the Establishment Division. Ms. Humaira Ahmed, a BPS-22 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service, has been proposed to take over as Secretary to the President.
President Alvi’s revelation on social media that he hadn’t signed the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill and the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill has confused him. He attributed the situation to his staff’s actions, accusing them of not returning the bills to parliament within the required 10-day timeframe.
Caretaker Law Minister Ahmad Irfan Aslam clarified that the bills became law upon the lapse of the 10 days for presidential assent. The president had the option to object to the bills within that timeframe, but he did not do so, leading to their automatic enactment. The Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill was received on Aug 2, while the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill reached the president on Aug 8.
