Islamabad High Court reinstates PEMRA chief
Rashid Ahmad had been appointed as PEMRA chairman by the former government on January 28, 2013.
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) Islamabad High Court (IHC) declared null and void the dismissal notification of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Chairman Chaudhry Rashid Ahmad and ordered to reinstate him.
Chaudhry Rashid Ahmad had challenged his removal in the IHC which heard the case on Monday after noon.
One member bench, comprising Justice Riaz Ahmed issued notices to all parties including information ministry and Establishment Division and sought reply in two weeks.
Rashid who was sacked by the government on Sunday night had been appointed chairman of the government’s media watchdog on January 28, 2013, after a ruling by the apex court barred the acting Pemra chairman Dr Abdul Jabbar from holding office.
Federal Minister for Water and Power, Khawaja Asif had challenged Rashid’s appointment by the former government in the Supreme Court.
Asif had argued that the appointment was not carried out in accordance with the January 15 order of the Supreme Court regarding the vacant Pemra chairman’s office.
At the time, the court had observed: “the position of chairman Pemra has to be filled by a person who fulfils the exceptional and stringent requirements prescribed in the PEMRA Ordinance and not by a casual appointee.”
“Moreover, the appointment has to be made through an open and transparent process to ensure that the appointee meets the objective criteria specified in the PEMRA Ordinance,” the order had stated.
Chaudhry Rashid Ahmad, a former principal information officer has also been accused of corruption in the past, with cases pending in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
