Lahore High Court suspends new PTA member finance

Awan’s status as PTA chairman had earlier been declared illegal by the same court.

KARACHI: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday stopped Farooq Ahmed Awan – a BS-21 bureaucrat who was appointed as acting member finance of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) last week – from performing his duties with immediate effect. The LHC has restrained Awan from holding charge of the position till the next hearing of the case on March 19.

Khawaja Saad Saleem of Nayatel had filed a petition at the LHC challenging Awan’s reinstatement at the PTA on Wednesday, company CEO Wahajus Siraj told The Express Tribune.

The petitioner also filed a separate application for contempt of court against the secretary cabinet division, secretary establishment division and Farooq Awan earlier this week, Siraj said. The court will hear the contempt case on Friday (today), he said.

It may be added here that Awan was appointed as PTA chairman in July, 2012. The same petitioner had challenged his appointment, which resulted in Awan’s termination from the authority’s chairmanship following orders from the LHC.

The former PTA chief had filed an intra court appeal against LHC’s decision, but he was reinstated by the government on Friday in the meantime – this time on deputation.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 8^th, 2013.

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