Punjab

Hamza Shehbaz names Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, Ahad Khan Cheema for caretaker Punjab CM slot

LAHORE, Jan 17 (SABAH): Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly Muhammad Hamza Shehbaz Shairf has forwarded names for caretaker chief minister of the province.  Hamza Shehbaz has proposed the names of former DG LDA and currently serving as Advisor to PM on Establishment Ahad Khan Cheema and Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi.

Hamza Shehbaz has sent the names to Governor Punjab Engineer Mian Muhammad Balighur Rehman. Governor will share the names of opposition leader with the Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Pervez Elahi.

It is expected the matter of the appointment of the caretaker chief minister Punjab will be decided by the Election Commission of Pakistan as both PML-N and PTI will not accept the names of each other. PML-N had shown agreement on the name of former chief secretary Punjab Sardar Nasir Mehmood Khosa but he refused to accept the offer to become caretaker chief minister. Meanwhile the PML-N has rejected other two names Muhammad Naseer Khan and Secretary Cabinet Division Sardar Ahmed Nawaz Sukhera.

Hamza Shehbaz wrote: being the opposition leader in the Provincial Assembly of Punjab (since dissolved), while not agreeing with the names proposed by the outgoing Chief Minister, Punjab vide his letter No. PS/PSCM(CMO)(O)23/OT-4, dated 16th January, I hereby forward the following names for appointment one of them as Caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab:
1-Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi

2-Ahad Khan Cheema

Hamza Shehbaz Sharif in the letter has written that he is currently abroad so he has nominated Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan, MPA to further coordinate the issue of appointment of the caretaker chief minister of Punjab under Article 244(IA) pr Article 224A, as the case may be.

It is worth mentioning here that Mohsin Naqvi, a Lahori native, was raised by his maternal uncle after losing his parents at a young age. His uncle also serves as the chairman of the City Media Group for him. He had a traditional upbringing, attending the renowned Crescent school and later Government College in Lahore. He showed early signs of leadership and had a talent for networking, even building a relationship with the chief minister while still an undergraduate student. He later pursued higher education in the United States.

While based in Miami, Mohsin gained experience in journalism through an internship at CNN. This experience may have inspired his idea for local media networks in Pakistan. When no journalist was willing to return to Pakistan, Mohsin, as a CNN intern, volunteered to go back home and leverage the CNN name and his strong networking abilities to establish himself in the news media industry.

While working at CNN, Mohsin held the position of a producer and was utilized as a local resource for the foreign journalists. As CNN s representative in Pakistan, he fulfilled various roles, including being a fixer for journalists visiting Pakistan. He would arrange interviews and meetings with important figures such as the Chief Minister.

As a field producer for CNN, Mohsin worked diligently behind the scenes, focusing on building connections and managing logistics. He never sought the spotlight, a tendency that he carries over to his current role as a leader of his organization. Throughout his time with CNN, he actively cultivated relationships with politicians, journalists, and other influential figures in Pakistan, using his affable personality and easy smile to gain favor and rise through the ranks. He was known for being quick to respond to requests for comment and always maintaining a polite and professional demeanor.

Meanwhile Ahad Khan Cheema, from an agricultural background of family of Hafizabad, made a name for himself early in his career. In 2005, he was selected by Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi to manage the “Parha Likha Punjab” project, serving as the project coordinator. This initiative was supported by the World Bank, and its success is attributed to Mr Cheema’s hard work and management skills. The previous government was proud of the project s success and it was also held up as a model by donor agencies.

He always took great satisfaction in the accomplishment of this initiative, and donor organisations also promoted it as being worth imitating. He also began to be knows as the “metro man” in bureaucratic circles. He was selected by the chief minister to oversee and manage the Lahore Metro Bus System (MBS) project due to his reputation for effective problem-solving, persuasive approach and leadership. He accepted the challenge and joined as the Director General of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) in March 2012. He completed the project in a record time of 11 months, without compromising any rules or regulations. The project was completed with transparency and a budget of Rs29.8 billion was utilised.

Cheema had lately been in limelight for his indictment by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in Aashiana Housing scheme case. He was arrested by the bureau in Feb 2018 and appeared in the investigation. Later, the NAB also initiated inquiries regarding the LDA City scam and assets beyond means against him. Later, in April 2021, he was granted bail in all three cases. It is imperative to mention here that cases have also been lodged against PM Shehbaz Sharif for corruption in the scheme.

However, he did not choose to continue his bureaucratic career over the “maltreatment meted out to him” while he was in the NAB’s custody. He said, he was roped into “politically motivated campaign spearheaded by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) ahead of the 2018 general election and his ordeal all along”. Later in June 2022, he was appointed special assistant to PM Shehbaz on establishment.

Meanwhile speaking to the media in Lahore, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said that the names proposed by the PML-N were “non-serious”.

“It is a joke if they have proposed these names but they haven’t been communicated to us,” he said, adding that the names proposed by the PTI and the PML-Q were “serious”. “We think that consensus should be developed on those names.”

Fawad noted how Malik Ahmed had stated earlier that flexibility could be demonstrated with regards to the names suggested by the PTI.

In an apparent reference to reports claiming that Khosa had refused to take up the mantle of caretaker CM, Fawad said: “I request Nasir Khosa to change his mind. This will be his contribution to Pakistan. I can imagine that it is a difficult thing […] Nasir Khosa and Ahmed Nawaz Sukhera both are very credible names.”

He said the country’s entire bureaucracy was well aware of the reputation of the two.