ISLAMABAD – President Dr Arif Alvi handed over the services of his secretary Waqar Ahmed to the Establishment Division on Monday, as the debate over the signing of laws pertaining to the Official Secrets Act and the Army Act heated up. “In light of yesterday’s definite statement, 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 longer required and are surrendered to the Establishment Division, immediately,” the president said on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. He also requested that Humaira Ahmed, a BPS-22 officer in the Pakistan Administrative Service, be appointed as Secretary to the President.
President Alvi had previously said that he did not sign the Official Secrets Amendment Bill 2023 and the Pakistan Army Amendment Bill 2023 because he disagreed with these laws.
On the social media network X, formerly known as Twitter, the president stated that he had instructed his staff to return the bills unsigned within the time frame specified in order to render them ineffectual.
“I asked them several times whether they had been returned and was promised that they had. “However, I discovered today that my staff undermined my will and command,” the president said.
The announcement comes after the president signed both laws into law.
On July 31, the National Assembly passed the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which aims to punish individuals with up to five years in prison for exposing sensitive information about national security or the armed services.
Separately, the Official Secrets Act was approved by the Lower House just a few days before the National Assembly’s dissolution on August 7.