Ahad Khan Cheema, a federal minister in the current government of Pakistan, has been accused of nepotism and conflict of interest. He has appointed his wife, Sama Ahad, to a position in a company that is funded by the mobile phone industry. He has also appointed himself to the boards of two state-owned companies, PTCL and Parco, and has been receiving payments in dollars for attending meetings.
Details:
Ahad Khan Cheema is a close associate of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He served as a special advisor to the prime minister in the previous government and was appointed as a federal minister in the current government.
In October 2022, Cheema appointed himself to the board of PTCL, the state-owned telecommunications company. In June 2023, he appointed himself to the board of Parco, the state-owned oil refinery.
Cheema has been receiving payments in dollars for attending meetings of the boards of PTCL and Parco. According to sources, he has received over $100,000 from PTCL and Parco since his appointment to the boards.
Cheema’s wife, Sama Ahad, is a civil servant. In June 2023, she was appointed to the position of company secretary of Universal Service Fund (USF), a company that is funded by the mobile phone industry.
The appointments of Cheema and his wife have been criticized by opposition leaders and civil society activists. They have accused Cheema of nepotism and conflict of interest.
Cheema has defended the appointments, saying that they are legal and that he is qualified for the positions. He has also said that he does not receive any salary from PTCL or Parco.
Analysis:
The appointments of Ahad Khan Cheema and his wife, Sama Ahad, raise serious questions about nepotism and conflict of interest.
Cheema is a powerful politician who is close to the prime minister. He has used his influence to appoint himself to the boards of two state-owned companies. He has also appointed his wife to a position in a company that is funded by the mobile phone industry.
These appointments are a clear case of nepotism. Cheema has used his position to benefit his family members.
The appointments also raise concerns about conflict of interest. Cheema is a federal minister who is responsible for overseeing the telecommunications and oil and gas sectors. His appointment to the boards of PTCL and Parco gives him a direct financial interest in these sectors.
This raises the possibility that Cheema could use his position to benefit PTCL and Parco at the expense of the public interest.
The government should investigate the appointments of Ahad Khan Cheema and his wife, Sama Ahad. If the investigation finds that the appointments were illegal or improper, the government should take action to remove Cheema from the boards of PTCL and Parco and to terminate his wife’s appointment at USF.
