Despite being federal minister, Ahad Cheema still PTCL’s non-executive director

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, Ahad Khan Cheema, who is considered very close to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who also held the status of Federal Advisor in the first government of Shahbaz Sharif, appointed himself as a non-executive director on the board of PTCL-Ufone on October 12, 2022, through a special circulation summary.

When he was removed from the post of Federal Advisor by the Election Commission of Pakistan on 18 December 2023, he did not leave the post of PTCL and Ufone board either. Even today he is included in the board of PTCL and Ufone as non-executive director.

The sources inside the PTCL-Ufone Board of Directors have said that Ahad Khan Cheema has attended more than eight meetings of the company and the company paid him more than one hundred thousand dollars.

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Furthermore, sources told Daily Ausaf/ABN News that the money was paid to him before he took oath as the current federal minister and he still has not resigned from the post of Non-Executive Director Member of PTCL-Ufone.

Sources in the company have said that Ahad Khan Cheema is very active in the various recommendations that the company presented. There are seven more people on the board who are being paid in dollars as per the policy, sources added. Sources inside PTCL further stated that the government of Pakistan had appointed him to the board of the PTCL-Ufone for outstanding financial matters with Etisalat, a state-owned company of the UAE.

On being contacted by Daily Ausad/ABN News, Ahad Khan Cheema said that the money he received was legally received and he was appointed to the board legally. He further said, “I don’t remember exactly how much money I got but the amount I got was according to the company’s policies and as per policy meeting fee is received by all the directors.”