Head of regulatory body to be appointed on temporary basis, reads Justice Babar Sattar’s judgement
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday ordered the removal of Major General (retd) Hafeez Ur Rehman from his post as the chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA).
The 99-page judgement issued by Justice Babar Sattar, provides for the appointment of the head of regulatory authority’s head on temporary basis.
In his verdict, Justice Sattar stated the appointment of the PTA chairman was not legally valid, adding that a senior member of the PTA should be appointed as the chairman temporarily.
The court observed that the recruitment process for the post “lacked integrity” and suffered from “malafide in law”.
“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,” read the judgment.
The one-member bench of the IHC stated that the entire edifice of processes and decisions built on an “illegal foundation” must crumble upon such “illegal foundation”.
As the advertisement and the process of recruitment undertaken suffered from malice in law, all subsequent decisions in pursuit of such process, including the appointment of the PTA chairman, are illegal and of no legal effect, it added.
