Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday ordered the removal of
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Syed Ismail Shah
from his post, calling for the appointment of a new chairman within 30
days.
The court took the decision while hearing a
petition filed by one Shiraz Zaka who argued that the PTA chairman could
hold office for up to four years according to existing regulations,
contending that Shah had served as chairman for over five years.
Justice
Shahid Kareem ordered the federal government to advertise a vacancy for
the new chairman and ensure appointment within 30 days.
Shah was appointed as full time chairman
of the regulatory body in 2013 after having served as its acting
chairman following a Supreme Court decision which said that there was no
provision in the PTA rules for an acting chairman.
Shah's predecessor Farooq Awan was removed from office by the LHC as his appointment was in violation of the PTA Act.
