ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday ordered the removal of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) chairman from the office over an illegal appointment.
The court accepted the petition seeking the removal of PTA chairman Maj Gen (R) Hafeez-ur-Rehman and reserved its verdict on August 20.
IHC Justice Babar Sattar issued a 99-page written decision, declaring that the PTA chairman’s appointment was not legally valid.
“PTA Chairman should be removed from office immediately,” the court ruling maintained, adding that a senior-most member of the authority should be appointed as the acting chairman until a lawful appointment.
Digital rights activist Usama Khilji filed the petition through advocate Asad Ladha, challenging the appointment of the PTA chairman.
The court found that the creation of the post of Member (Administration), through which Rehman first entered PTA before becoming Chairman, was unlawful.
The position did not exist under the original PTA Appointment Rules, and amendments were made after the recruitment advertisement had already been issued. The court concluded this process was tailored to accommodate a preselected candidate.
The court emphasized that appointments to public offices must follow transparent, merit-based procedures and cannot be manipulated to favor specific individuals.
