Rashid Ahmad was removed from the post of chairman last week after the Federal Minister for Water and Power Development Khawaja Asif had challenged Rashid’s appointment by the former government in the Supreme Court.
Rashid had been appointed chairman of the government’s media watchdog on January 28, 2013, by former president Asif Ali Zardari under Section 6 of Pemra Rules. This was after a ruling by the apex court barred the acting Pemra chairman Dr Abdul Jabbar from holding office.
Khawaja Asif argued that the appointment was not carried out in accordance with the January 15 order of the Supreme Court regarding the vacant PEMRA chairman’s office.
The government then issued a notification appointing Rao Tehseen as acting chairman of the body.
On the night of December 16, the IHC declared Rashid's dismissal null and void.
It has now truncated the notification of Tehseen's appointment as well.
PEMRA chief accused of malpractice, harassment
On the other hand, the Pemra Officers Welfare Association (POWA) is accusing the Rashid Ahmad of fabricating cases against them and threatening them with dire consequences.
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 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.
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@ Jibran Is it the same way as Imran Khan became orphan upon the retirement of General Ahmed Shuja Pasha?? And since then we see no more "electables" being herd into PTI rather the bogus degreeholders (Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Yousaf Ayub & Ayela Malik etc) are exposed!!
@Saeed Canberra: PMLN became political orphan after the retirement of the corrupt Ch Iftikhar.
It is quite intriguing that a person is being given legal cover when his appointment is illegal ab initio and corruption cases are pending against him under Sections 420, 468, 471, 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) http://tribune.com.pk/story/585403/pemra-chiefs-appointment-media-monitoring-kingpin-under-nab-scanner/ It is an open secret that Mr Noor-ul-Haq Qureshi belongs to PPP and was appointed in the IHC by Asif Zardari (against whom massive corruption cases are pending in Pakistan & Switzerland) to give protection to all the jiyala office holders appointed by Mr. Zardari during 5 years of misrule & corruption of PPP regime. Other jiyalas protected by Mr Qureshi include NADRA Chairman Tariq Malik (relative of PPP Senator Rahman Malik), former in charge of PPP elections cell. PTI trolls supporting corrupt jiyalas exposes Muk-Mukka between PTI & PPP. Koi Dekhe Ya Na Dekhe Shabbir Tu Dekhe Ga !
The restoration of Chairman PEMRA proves that the judiciary is not pro Nawaz government and it will not accept politicisng the bureaucracy by putting party loyalists of PML (N).
Another humiliation with flying colours to PML (N) regime.
PMLN is politicizing all institutions. How can the Institutions function when PMLN is instigating revolts. Nawaz tried the same with Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and then with Musharraf. His habits remain the same.
If any one thinks in Pakistan that Sharif brothers are democratic people and believe in democracy , I got news for them, they are the product of a worst kind of dictator Zia, these political parties come in to power by hook or crook and then they start doing things which are against the law of the land and if some how their whims are challenged then they send in their goons including some NA and PA member to ATTACK THE SUPREME COURT LITERALLY where justices had to take shelter to save their lives. What NS and his minions are doing is to fire bunch of people in key positions and fill in the vacancies by their lackeys, yes men and hangers on to perpetuate his rule. PPP has done it too and they were booted out and we know how corrupt they were, PML-N is no different than their predecessor. No wonder the country is in such a dire situation and these people are looking after their own interest and not the country as a whole, all this mismanagement and corruption is going to catch up with the nation some day and even destroy it in the process and that is exactly what some of Pakistan's friends want to see.