Islamabad:
The Superior Court of Islamabad (IHC) has suspended the order of Judge Babar Sattar that eliminates Major General (RETD) Hafeezur Rehman as president of the Telecommunications Authority of Pakistan (PTA), temporarily restoring it to the position.
A bank of the division comprised of Judge Muhammad Asif and Judge INAAM AMEEN MINHAS issued the order on Thursday after an initial hearing on three intra-cat appeals presented by the PTA, the federal government and the president expelled from the PTA.
The PTA lawyer, Salman Mansoor, argued that before withdrawing the president, nor were the rules challenged or a warning was issued to the AGP, which was mandatory.
He affirmed that the relief that not even requested in the petition was granted, while according to article 199 of the Constitution, the Court cannot decide the issues that were not declared specifically.
He said that the same court indicated that no arguments had been completed, and that two requests that raised objections were also pending, but the decision was reserved without addressing them.
The lawyer also said that when the lawyers were licensed, the court reserved the ruling and then exercised the powers of Suo Motu to eliminate the president of the PTA.
Rehman’s lawyer, Qasim Wadood, argued that the petition had questioned his appointment as a member of the PTA and said the position was announced incorrectly, while the rules had been modified with the approval of the federal cabinet before his appointment.
In support of the Intra-Court appeal of the federal government, the additional attorney general Rashid Hafeez told the bank that the position had attracted 64 applicants throughout the country, of which 24 qualified.
He said that the eligibility criteria were strictly followed, and no candidate had challenged the process. The rules, he said, were amended with the approval of the federal cabinet before the position was announced.
After listening to the arguments, the bank accepted the miscellaneous request that seeks the suspension of the Single Bank verdict. He also issued a notice to the Usama Khilji petitioner and postponed more procedures.
