Acting PTV MD finally removed
ISLAMABAD: The information ministry has finally removed acting PTV Managing Director (MD) Mustafa Kamal Qazi in accordance with an Islamabad High Court (IHC) verdict announced almost three weeks ago.
Qazi challenged the withdrawal of his appointment notification through a contempt petition on Wednesday. His petition was dismissed by an IHC division bench at a preliminary stage.
The information secretary said the new PTV MD would be appointed on merit.
According to legal experts, the ministry should have removed the acting MD on the day the IHC verdict was announced. However, Qazi stayed in his position without lawful authority.
PTV sources said the removal of the acting MD was delayed for three weeks since certain quarters wanted to finalise recommendations and appointments pertaining to some high level projects. These include the digitalisation of PTV and the DTH project. Reportedly, Qazi promised to facilitate the projects on condition that he be allowed to continue as MD or promoted instead.
According to the sources, Qazi’s financial and administrative powers had been curtailed lately due to his ‘incompetency’.
They said he inflicted heavy losses on the corporation, practiced nepotism and bungled the PCB cricket rights procurement by surrendering them to a rival private channel.
It should be noted that the counsel for the information ministry informed the IHC that PTV had suffered Rs800 million in losses during Qazi’s tenure. The ministry also told the court that Qazi had misguided the bench on his seniority.
The IHC division bench subsequently set aside the previous single bench judgment on the intra-court appeal filed by former PTV MD Yousaf Baig Mirza and declared his removal from office illegal. The single judge of the high court exercised suo motu jurisdiction, which is not warranted by law, it held in its order.
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