The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday declared the appointment of Hafeezur Rehman as the chairman of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) illegal and directed authorities to immediately remove him from the office.
The ruling came after the court accepted a petition challenging Rehman’s appointment, filed by digital rights activist Usama Khilji through Advocate Asad Ladha.
Justice Babar Sattar, who heard the case, had reserved his judgment in an earlier hearing after seeking written arguments from the respondents. The detailed verdict spans 99 pages.
The court said, the appointment was not legally valid and ordered that a senior PTA member be appointed as acting chairman until a permanent and legal appointment is made. Later, Rehman challenged the IHC decision.
According to Express News, the appeal has been filed under the Ordinance of 1972. The appellant, who currently holds the post of PTA chairman, argued that he was first appointed as Member (Administration) on May 24, 2023, and was promoted a day later to the post of chairman.
In his petition, Rehman contended that he has been performing his duties ‘in accordance with laws and regulations’ and said the appeal aimed to establish the legality of his appointment.
The appeal noted that Justice Sattar of the IHC had delivered the reserved judgment, declaring his appointment illegal. Rehman also requested the court to fix his appeal for an urgent hearing.