ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ordered the removal of Major General (retd) Hafeez Ur Rehman from his position as chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), declaring his appointment illegal.
Justice Babar Sattar issued a detailed 99-page verdict, stating that the federal government must appoint a senior PTA member to serve as chairman on a temporary basis.
The court ruled that the recruitment process for the post lacked transparency and was carried out with “malafide intent.” Justice Sattar said the entire process, including the advertisement and subsequent decisions, was “illegal and of no legal effect.”
“The steps taken by the federal government to fill the post of Member (Administration) under the challenged advertisement cannot stand in the eyes of law,” the verdict read.
The court noted that Rehman was first appointed as Member (Administration) and later promoted to PTA chairman while the petition challenging the process was still pending.
The IHC had already warned in a 2023 order that any appointments made under the disputed advertisement would be subject to the case’s final outcome.
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During the proceedings, the petitioner argued that under Section 3 of the Telecom Act, only three member positions were allowed in the PTA. He claimed that the federal cabinet did not approve any additional post, and the creation of the Member (Administration) position violated PTA Appointment Rules.
The petitioner’s lawyer said the advertisement for the post was issued on March 28, 2023, even though no such position existed in the rules at that time. The rules were later amended and published in the gazette on May 4, 2023, which the court found problematic.
After reviewing arguments, the IHC had reserved its decision on August 20, 2025, before delivering Friday’s judgment.
Meanwhile, Hafeez Ur Rehman has filed an intra-court appeal, requesting the court to fix it for urgent hearing.
