ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Thursday suspended the decision pertaining to the removal of Major General (retd) Hafeez Ur Rehman from his post as the chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA).
The Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) filed an intra-court appeal against his removal from office.
As per details, a division bench comprising Justice Muhammad Asif and Justice Inam Amin Minhas heard the case.
Qasim Wadood, PTA Chairman’s lawyer appeared before IHC and argued that the writ petition was based on the claim that his client could not be appointed as a PTA member and that the position had been advertised incorrectly.
The counsel stated that the relevant rules had been amended with the cabinet’s approval, following which the appointment was made.
He further said that the rules had already been changed on March 25, prior to the filing of the petition.
After hearing the arguments, the court restored Major General (retd) Hafeez Ur Rehman as PTA chairman.
Earlier, the appeal challenged the Islamabad High Court’s decision to unseat him from the post. It was submitted under the 1972 Ordinance.
The appellant, Major General (retd) Hafeez Ur Rehman, is the current PTA chairman. He was first appointed as Member (Administration) on May 24, 2023, and elevated to chairman the following day, May 25, 2023.
Rehman maintained that he had been performing his duties in line with the laws and regulations. The appeal was filed to validate the legality of his appointment as chairman.
Prior to this, Justice Babar Sattar of the Islamabad High Court announced a reserved judgment ordering his removal from the position.
Justice Babar Sattar of the IHC issued a 99-page judgment declaring Rehman’s appointment as PTA chairman unlawful.
The court ruled that the recruitment process for the post “lacked integrity” and suffered from “malafide in law.”
The judgment read “The subsequent steps taken by the federal government in filling the post of Member (Administration) pursuant to the impugned advertisement are not sustainable in the eyes of law and are of no legal effect.”
In his petition, the PTA chairman also requested the court to take up his appeal for an urgent hearing.
