The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday declared the appointment of Pakistan Television Network’s (PTV) chairman as illegal.
After declaring Chairman and director #AtaulHaqQasmi’s appointment illegal, the court further ordered the government to appoint a permanent managing director.
The 48-page verdict, authored by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, stated that Qasmi will no longer be allowed to hold office.
The top court reserved the verdict in the case on February 26.
“The payment of salary and the benefits/allowances to Mr.
Qasmi was unlawful and unauthorised. He was not entitled to such
payments and cannot retain the same,” said the verdict.
“The administrative actions taken by Mr. Qasmi are beyond the
scope of duties of a Chairman, therefore all such orders passed
by him during his tenure are declared to be illegal and void ab
initio.”
The verdict further stated that after taking into account the lapses and illegal actions committed by Qasmi, former information minister Pervaiz Rashid and former finance minister Ishaq Dar and Fawad Hasan Fawad are liable to pay the amount of Rs197 million.
“Taking into account the lapses and illegal actions committed by Mr. Qasmi as a Director and the Chairman of PTV, Mr Pervaiz Rashid, Minister for Information, Mr Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister and Mr Fawad Hasan Fawad, Secretary to the PM, we hereby direct that the amount of Rs.197,867,491/- be recovered from them.”
“These amounts are their liabilities and they must reimburse the same to PTV. However if they fail to do so within a period of two months, PTV is directed to recover the said amounts from them in the stated ratio as per the procedure in practice for the recovery of dues,” the judgement stated.
