IHC issues notices to information secretary, three Pemra employees
ISLAMABAD: Justice Muhammad Anwar Kasi of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Thursday issued notices to the secretary information, a Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) executive member, deputy general manager to Pemra executive member and Pemra regional general manager after a Pemra HR general manager and an HR assistant general manager alleged before the court that Pemra acting chairman Dr Abdul Jabbar has been violating rules in using administrative powers.
The IHC bench directed the respondents to submit their replies while adjourning the matter with date in office. The petitioners – Pemra HR Assistant General Manager Muhammad Ali and Pemra HR General Manager Dr Muhammad Safdar Rehman – has adopted before the court that Pemra acting chairman Dr Abdul Jabbar, while transferring the petitioner Dr Safdar Rehman and suspending Muhammad Ali, has exercised his administrative powers.
Since Dr Abdul Jabbar has been a Pemra executive member working as acting Pemra chairman due to the Pemra chairman’s 86 days leave, so he is only responsible to take care of the office work and could not exercise administrative powers. By transferring Muhammad Ali and suspending Safdar Rehman, the Pemra acting chairman has violated the rules, the petitioners said.
The petitioners have prayed to the court to declare Dr Jabbar’s orders unlawful, without jurisdiction and not binding upon the petitioners. As per details provided by the petitioners through a writ petition, Pemra in 2010 had made some appointments that were challenged in the court by two petitioners, Khalid Mehmood and Wajahat Abbas. The Pemra chairman was then asked to intervene and resolve the issue amicably by appointing both the petitioners and they would withdraw from the litigations.
The appointment letters of Khalid Mehmood and Wajahat Abbas were then prepared with the understanding in presence of one Faisal Shehzad that these appointment letters shall be kept with a third person, and when the proper procedure is followed and all the process of law is made clear, Khalid Mehmood and Wajahat Abbas would submit their joining reports.
After that the Pemra chairman applied for an 86 days leave, but before his departure, he directed Dr Safdar Rehman to examine this case and put it up within one week after doing the needful.
After the new development taking place with the Pemra chairman departing on leave and an executive member, Dr Abdul Jabbar, taking the charge, Khalid Mehmood and Wajahat Abbas taking advantage of the situation submitted their joining reports without taking into confidence the HR assistant general manager, violating the understanding reached between the office.
Since both the Wajahat and Khalid were already in service as field inspector and senior field inspector respectively, therefore, both were charge sheeted with the allegations that they have obtained fictitious appointment letters through unlawful means and submitted their joining reports through a courier service.
After that the petitioner number one, Muhammad Ali, was also charge sheeted on March 10, 2011 for being not authorised to issue the appointment letters without following the proper procedure and prior approval of the competent authority; and on the same date, without waiting for his reply, Muhammad Ali was also rendered under suspension. The Pemra acting chairman also transferred Dr Safdar Rehman to another wing.
Source: The News
Date:4/22/2011
” 
” 
” 
” 
