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The Islamabad High Court has ordered the removal of the Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) from office.
The court accepted the petition seeking the chairman’s removal, declaring that his appointment was not made in accordance with the law.
The Islamabad High Court directed that the chairman be removed from his position immediately. It further instructed that a senior member of the PTA be appointed as acting chairman temporarily.
Justice Babar Sattar, who had earlier reserved the verdict, announced the decision today. The judgment spans 99 pages and was authored by Justice Sattar.
The Islamabad High Court, in response to a petition filed by digital rights activist Usama Khilji, declared that the appointment of Major General (R) Hafeez Ur Rehman as Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) was not legally valid.
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.
Justice Babar Sattar emphasized that appointments to public offices must follow transparent, merit-based procedures and cannot be manipulated to favor specific individuals.
The judgment, spread across 99 pages, also highlighted the critical role of PTA in safeguarding digital rights, consumer interests, and fair regulation of Pakistan’s telecom sector.
The court ordered the immediate removal of the chairman and directed that the senior-most PTA member take charge as acting chairman until a lawful appointment is made.
