LAHORE: In protest against the ‘unconstitutional’ act of the government, the CEO of the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (Smeda) resigned on Sunday.
Hashim Raza confirmed his resignation in an interview with The News. In response to the ‘unconstitutional’ act of the government, he used his right to tender his resignation. His appointment as CEO was made after a hiring process by the PTI government.
As a CEO of Smeda performing my duties as a ‘public servant’ under the Rules of Business 1973, I am writing this letter as per Section 20 (i) of the Smeda Ordinance 2002 to tender my resignation to Smeda’s minister of industries and production who is also Smeda’s chairman of the board of industry.
The Constitution, as a constitutional provision, mandates that I comply with the Rules of Business 1973, which I consider to be my duty as a public servant. Since I am a government employee, I am concerned about recent events and the apparent abrogation of the Constitution by the country’s highest legislative body.
Absencing the Constitution, in my opinion, would negatively affect administrative and state structures in Pakistan and therefore the country’s future.
In addition, I would like to encourage my fellow public and civil servants to maintain the duty to abide by the law – a duty that, in turn, requires them to uphold the Constitution under which they are formulated”.