The court also ordered Law Secretary Raja Naeem Akbar and Cabinet Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal to appear before the court.
ISLAMABAD:
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday warned that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif could be summoned if the appointment of a financial member of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) court is not made by May 18.
Hearing a case on non-appointment, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani said: “The prime minister should appear and explain why the appointment has not been made.”
The court also ordered Law Secretary Raja Naeem Akbar and Cabinet Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal to appear before the court.
The Telecommunications Appellate Tribunal is a statutory body established under the Telecommunications Appellate Tribunal Establishment Act, 2024, which was enacted by amending the Pakistan Telecommunication (Reorganisation) Act, 1996 and the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016.
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It was designed to serve as the primary appeals forum for telecommunications and related regulatory disputes. Its main objective is to provide a specialized, faster and expert forum for regulatory disputes related to telecommunications and cyber.
The Tribunal consists of three members: a president, a former High Court judge or senior lawyer, a technical expert in ICT or related fields, and a financial expert with relevant professional experience.
During the proceedings, the Deputy Attorney General informed the court that a retired judge had been appointed to the court.
Justice Kayani made strong comments about the practice of appointing retired judges to those positions, saying they had “caused more harm.” He added that retired judges were too keen to join the courts.
“At night they remember greetings and do not let others sleep,” the judge remarked.
“If someone feels like it, he is appointed in the NRC, while others go to another court,” he added.
