IHC restrains Naeem from working as PTV chairman.

ISLAMABAD -- The IslamAabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday restrained Naeem Bokhari from working as the chairman of Pakistan Television (PTV).

The court noted that the appointment of Mr Bokhari and five directors of the PTV board had been made in violation of the decision of the Supreme Court.

The ruling was issued by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah on two petitions challenging the appointment of Mr Bokhari, acting managing director of PTV board Shahira Shahid and directors retired Col Hassan Imad Mohammadi, Asad Ahmed Jaspal, Asghar Nadeem Syed and Waseem Raza Abid.

During the course of hearing, Mazhar Ali Memon, director general of the information ministry, told the court that a summary had been moved for the appointment of Mr Bokhari and the PTV directors.

He however conceded that nobody in the ministry had perused the Supreme Court's decision on the appointment of Ataul Haq Qasmi as PTV chairman in which the apex court had defined the criteria for appointment to the post.

Advocate Shahid Mehmood Khokhar, representing the PTV, claimed that the summary for the appointment of Mr Bokhari was prepared in accordance with the guidelines of the apex court. He insisted that Mr Bokhari's name was picked from the prescribed list and he was eligible to hold the position under the Companies Act 2017.

Justice Minallah reminded the lawyer that similar matter had already been discussed before the apex court which had set aside the appointment of Mr Qasmi emphasising that even the federal minister was not empowered to cherry-pick.

Then Justice Minallah issued an order which stated: 'The Supreme Court has discussed in detail the principles and law governing appointment of a Director and Chairman of the Corporation. It is laudable that respondent no.6 [Naeem Bokhari] has refused to accept salary or other benefits and perks related to his office but this is not a relevant consideration for ignoring the law...