Rashid was sacked once before, on December 16 last year, in line with the Supreme Court’s judgment on Khawaja Asif’s petition to review illegal appointments. PHOTO: FILE
President Mamnoon Hussain on Thursday fired Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) Chairperson Chaudhry Rashid Ahmad.
The Pemra chairman was removed on the advice of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, an official in the Prime Minister House confirmed to The Express Tribune.
Rashid was appointed the chairman of the government’s media watchdog on January 28, 2013 by former president Asif Ali Zardari. He was appointed under section 6 of Pemra Rules, after a ruling of the Supreme Court barred then acting Pemra chairman, Dr Abdul Jabbar, from holding office.
Rashid’s appointment was, however, challenged by the incumbent federal minister for water and power, Khawaja Asif, in the Supreme Court.
Asif had 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.
Rashid, a former principal information officer (PIO), has also been accused of corruption in the past, with cases pending with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
Rashid was sacked once before, on December 16 last year, in line with the Supreme Court’s judgment on Khawaja Asif’s petition to review illegal appointments. However, Justice Riaz Ahmed Khan of the Islamabad High Court suspended the termination notification and granted a stay order.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 18th, 2014.
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This time around the Charge Sheet against the PPP-appointed jiyala is very strong.. "the 16 allegations against the PEMRA chairman included huge financial corruption and irregularities in the Authority, illegal inclusion of an advertising agency on PEMRA panel, illegal receipt and processing of applications for satellite TV license, attempt to grant landing rights permission, forgery in Satellite TV license terms and conditions, payments to lawyers, revival of cancelled cable TV licenses, enhancement of transmitter power of non-commercial radio, damage caused to local media industry, illegal purchase of Honda Civic 1800cc car, claim of monetization while using official vehicle at the same time, illegal recruitments in PEMRA, losses due to delay in investment of funds; fake bills on account of entertainment expenses, illegal salary, accumulation of all administrative and financial powers and abuse of powers." There is no room left for the PTI trolls to bash the Government anymore!