ISLAMABAD: A high court in Pakistan’s capital on Tuesday canceled the appointment of Major General (retired) Hafeez-ur-Rehman as the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) chairman over violation of rules and favoritism.
Rehman was first appointed PTA member (administration) and in May 2023, he was appointed the chairman of the authority. The petitioner, Usama Khilji, challenged Rehman’s appointment as PTA member (administration), saying it was in contravention of PTA rules.
In his verdict, Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Babar Sattar stated that Rehman’s appointment as the PTA chairman was not legally valid, adding that a senior member of the authority should be appointed as the chairman temporarily.
“The creation of the office of Member (Administration) and the appointment made under it are void and of no legal effect,” the judge stated in the verdict. “The recruitment process suffered from mala fide in law and lacked transparency.”
The petitioner said the federal cabinet had not created any additional post and the announcement of the induction of a new member was in breach of the PTA appointment rules, which did not envisage the position of member (administration).
