Hafeez-ur-Rehman rejoins as PTA Chairman after reinstatement

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday reinstated Hafeez-ur-Rehman as the Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), according to reports.

Hafeez-ur-Rehman had requested the court to set aside the earlier decision of a single bench that removed him from office and to suspend that order until a final verdict was given on his appeal.

A division bench of the IHC, consisting of Justice Muhammad Asif and Justice Inam Amin Minhas, heard the case. His lawyer, Qasim Wadood, argued that the petition against his client was based on the claim that he could not be appointed as a PTA member and that the job was advertised improperly.

The lawyer explained that the rules for the appointment had been changed with the federal cabinet’s approval on March 25, before the petition was filed, making the appointment valid.

After hearing the arguments, the court decided to reinstate Hafeez-ur-Rehman as PTA Chairman.

It is worth mentioning that just a day earlier, Justice Babar Sattar of the IHC had ruled his appointment illegal and ordered his immediate removal. In a detailed 99-page verdict, the court found that the post of Member (Administration) was created and its qualifications were changed specifically to accommodate Hafeez-ur-Rehman, which it termed a misuse of power and against the law.

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