POWA’s secretary-general Amjad Ali claimed that PEMR Chairman Chaudhry Rashid Ahmed, has been threatening POWA members ever since he was reinstated. PHOTO: APP/FILE
In a statement issued by POWA’s secretary-general Amjad Ali, he claimed the chief of the media regulatory body, Chaudhry Rashid Ahmed, has been threatening its members ever since he was reinstated. The threats are being issued by Ahmed’s relatives and supporters who are illegally employed in the organisation, he added.
The Pemra chairman has been alleging that POWA officers did not let him enter the building, however, video footage shows that he not only entered the building and his office, but his supporters misbehaved with the senior regular officers and spoiled the official decorum by causing a ruckus. A complaint has already been registered with Margalla Police Station, Islamabad, according to the statement.
The general-secretary also accused Ahmed of initiating cases against Pemra’s regular officers to harass them as well as of misusing his office and authority.
The statement listed the ‘unfair practices’ of the Pemra chairman, including the harassment of regular officers in private and through courts to threaten them to keep mum regarding his unlawful acts, such as the regularisation of his associates and well-wishers against the decision of the federal government. He also purchased official vehicles banned by the federal government and made exorbitant payments to private counsels without any authority or licensing.
POWA appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to intervene and save Pemra from total collapse.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 24th, 2013.
COMMENTS (7)
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IEveagree wiith you but PIO is just a tool manipulated by secretary information who are often reffered to as Dons of information ministries. I too served for a short period as PIO and since I did not dance to either ministers or secretary tune, I was transferred to Karachi as Director general but all powers vested in me as DG were transferred to deputy DG who willingly danced to their tune.The same guy was once suspended on corrupt practices in advertisements.h
@Rizwan Khan I appreciate your comment regarding probe of release of advertisements by PID. But you must be also aware of the fact that sole authority of release of advertisement in the PID Headquarters Islamabad is in the hands of PIO. Sometimes, the Regional Offices of PID are instructed verbally to get the approval of their advertisement media from the PIO.
Ministry of information had many secretaries some whose tenure we hear was full of corrupt practices, so honestly this should be thoroughly probed starting from 1990 onwards, as some got rich overnight as we hear, frankly advertisement department in all of PID offices needs to be probed,this pandora box must be opened.
I have personally served with Chaudry rasheed, he is articulate officer and no nonsense person, obviously the union guys may not agree with his attitude with them but he has the organizations interest on hand, so if one wants good governance you got to let him do it his way.
It is time that government dig out cases of his malpractices during his tenure of PIO PID as well.
PML-N did not publish this story, ET published it. Its better to side with truth rather than siding with corrupt in political bias. I am hearing his corruption stories from third media group. He is one of remains of a corrupt govt.
Character assassination is the Only thing PMLN is good at. Modus operandi is similar to judges revolt against Justice Sajjad Ali Shah. Using paid touts to hatch conspiracies. After 5 years, all institutions will be totally destroyed. And Sharif family will again go on a vacation to the Saroor Palace, This time with 80 instead of 40 suitcases filled with gold.