IHC suspends Justice Babar Sattar’s order directing removal of PTI chairman

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has suspended Justice Babar Sattar’s decision to remove the Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) from office.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Muhammad Asif and Justice Inam Amin Minhas heard the intra-court appeal filed by PTA Chairman Major General (R) Hafeez ur Rehman. His counsel, Qasim Wadood, appeared before the court.

The appeals were filed by the PTA, the federal government, and the ousted chairman himself. Additional Attorney General and other officials also appeared during the proceedings.

During the hearing, PTA’s counsel Salman Mansoor argued that the relief granted in the earlier petition went beyond what was originally sought. He contended that the removal of the PTA chairman was ordered without first challenging the relevant rules or issuing a notice to the Attorney General.

Mansoor further maintained that serving a notice to the Attorney General was essential, adding that under Article 199 of the Constitution, relief that is not explicitly requested in a petition cannot be granted by the court.

Continuing his arguments, PTA’s counsel Salman Mansoor submitted that the court itself noted the proceedings were not yet concluded, as two objections had also been filed but were not addressed before the judgment was reserved.

He further argued that the maintainability of the petition was still under debate, yet on a day when several lawyers were on leave, the court declared the hearing concluded and reserved its verdict.

Responding to these arguments, Justice Muhammad Asif remarked that the counsel had already been given sufficient opportunity to present his case.

Subsequently, after hearing the arguments, the Islamabad High Court suspended Justice Babar Sattar’s order removing PTA Chairman Major General (R) Hafeez ur Rehman and restored him to his position.