IHC reinstates Chaudhry Rashid as chairman Pemra

Khawaja Asif had challenged Rashid’s appointment, saying it was not carried out in accordance with Jan 15 order

ISLAMABAD: Chaudhry Rashid was reinstated on Monday as Chairman Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) by the Islamabad High Court, Express News reported.

The federal government had removed Rashid from his post on December 15, 2013. He was appointed chairman of the government’s media watchdog on January 28, 2013, after a ruling by the apex court barred the acting Pemra chairman Dr Abdul Jabbar from holding office.

Federal Minister for Water and Power Development Khawaja Asif had challenged Rashid’s appointment in the Supreme Court. Asif argued that Rashid's appointment was not carried out in accordance with the January 15 order of the apex court regarding the vacant Pemra chairman’s office.

Rashif told IHC that as per the law, he cannot be removed from office during his three-year tenure.

On December 24, 2014, members of the Pemra Officers Welfare Association (POWA) had also accused the Pemra chairman of fabricating cases against them and threatening them with dire consequences.

Read: PEMRA chief accused of malpractice, harassment

A statement issued by POWA’s secretary-general Amjad Ali claimed that Rashid was threatening its members ever since he was reinstated. The threats were being issued by Ahmed’s relatives and supporters who were illegally employed in the organisation, he added.

Rashid had allegedly appointed over 100 relatives in Pemra, the application said urging the court to annul these contractual appointments and ask the FIA to expedite its inquiry against Rashid.