Harassment claim: Pemra chief files petition against government

Claims attempts are under way to force him to resign

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Chairman Chaudhary Rashid Ahmad has gone to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against alleged harassment by the government, in the form of pressure to resign from his post.

“After reinstatement of the petitioner as Pemra chairman, the respondents have intensified their efforts to harass...and compel him to resign,” stated Ahmed in the petition through his counsel Waseem Sajjad.

The respondents are now trying to involve the petitioner in concocted cases to make it impossible for him to continue as chairman Pemra, stated the petition.

Following his reinstatement, the counsel stated, Ahmed received a letter from NAB asking him to appear before them on May 29 to record his pleas. The petitioner fears that he will be arrested when he appears before NAB, the counsel added.

The PEMRA chairman has cited the Federation of Pakistan through the Information, Establishment, and Interior secretaries as respondents.

Among other respondents, he has cited National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director general, ICT chief commissioner, all members of Pemra and the inspectors general of the Islamabad and Punjab police as respondents.

The petitioner has alleged that information secretary had sent letters to the FIA and NAB to harass and pressurise him to resign from office. In the guise of an inquiry, both NAB and FIA began to strong-arm him to get him to resign, he added.

Section 18 of the NAB Ordinance states that once an inquiry or investigation is undertaken by NAB, the responsibility thereafter is of NAB alone, to the exclusion of any other agency or authority.

“Parallel investigations have been initiated at two levels, and that too, against the mandate of law to compel the petitioner to resign and go home quietly,” stated the petition.

A few days back, Justice Noorul Haq N. Qureshi had reinstated the sacked chairman, wherein it was stated that Ahmed’s case should have been placed before the federal commission which was constituted to select heads of public sector organisations.

“I am of the view that the petitioner could have hardly been removed by placing his case before the commission,” the judge added. The court had declared notification of removal tainted and mala fide as it had been issued in accordance with the law.

In the judgment, Justice Qureshi had observed that allegations levelled against petitioner were that prior to his appointment as Pemra chairman Ahmed, as a civil servant, himself prepared summary for his appointment.

“Admittedly, a fact on record is that the concerned ministry and competent authority were not bound to accept the summary if there were lapses in it,” stated Justice Qureshi.

The court stated that due process had not been followed while removing the official, adding that neither sufficient time nor documentation had been provided to Ahmed to submit a reply.

The counsel has prayed that the proceedings being started against Ahmed be declared mala fide. He added that the petitioner may not be harassed in any manner and may not be arrested without the permission of the court.

The case has been fixed before a divisional bench comprising Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Aamer Farooq for June 1.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2015.