IHC stops Naeem Bokhari from working as PTV Chairman

The Islamabad High Court IHC on Thursday stopped Naeem Bokhari from working as Pakistan Television PTV Chairman.

According to the details, the court ruled while hearing the petition challenging his appointment as illegal.

A day earlier, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah conducted hearing on identical petitions against appointment of Mr Bokhari, and advised the counsel for the PTV chairman to peruse the Supreme Court decision that had set aside the appointment of Ataul Haq Qasmi as the PTV chairman.

The court noted that the appointment had been made “prima facie in violation of the guidelines set by the Supreme Court”.

The attorney general was not present despite the fact the court had issued him notice seeking assistance in the case.

Back in Nov 2018, the Supreme Court declared Ataul Haq Qasmi’s appointment illegal. The court ordered the federal government to appoint a full-time managing director of PTV after fulfilling all legal, procedural and codal formalities strictly in accordance with the law.

The judgement observed that public officials, particularly heads of ministries who were elected representatives of the people, owed their allegiance and loyalty to Pakistan, the Constitution and the law. They were obligated to act accordingly and without being influenced by extraneous considerations.

Public officials were not allowed to take decisions arbitrarily after circumventing the law and at their own whims to certain individuals, the judgement said.