IHC orders removal of PTA chairman Major General (R) Hafeez-ur-Rehman

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday ordered the immediate removal of Major General (R) Hafeez-ur-Rehman from the post of Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), declaring his appointment illegal, ARY News reported.

Justice Babar Sattar announced the verdict and issued a comprehensive 99-page judgment.

The court found that the process leading to Hafeez-ur-Rehman’s appointment as Member (Administration) and subsequently as Chairman PTA was unconstitutional and unlawful, describing it as the result of malice in law.

The IHC observed that the creation of the post of member administration and the tailoring of its qualifications to accommodate Hafeez-ur-Rehman amounted to a mala fide exercise of power.

The court ordered that Major General (R) Hafeez-ur-Rehman must immediately relinquish his position and cease to hold any office within the PTA.

Furthermore, the court directed that the senior-most serving member of the PTA shall temporarily assume the role of chairman until the federal government appoints a new chairman through a lawful and transparent process.

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Notably, the post of Member (Administration) was created in 2023, following amendments to PTA rules, which increased the number of members from three to four.