Naeem Bokhari restrained from working as PTV chairman

Naeem Bokhari has been restrained from working as Pakistan Television (PTV) chairman on orders of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday.

The orders were issued by Islamabad High Court ordered on Thursday during a hearing of a petition challenging Bokhari’s appointment as illegal.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah presiding the hearing of a petition filed against the appointment of Bukhari as chairman observed that there needed to be a clear reason for relaxing the upper age limit for 65-year-old Bokhari, referencing the Supreme Court decision to set aside the appointment of Ata ul Haq Qasmi as the PTV chairman.

The top court also maintained that there is an upper age limit in these cases and that the posts have to be advertised, said the court. Neither was adhered to in Bokhari’s case.

IHC also noted that the Ministry of Information and Technology had repeated the same mistakes as those in Qasmi’s case and had not perused the apex court’s judgment.

“Explain the procedure, you yourself appointed Naeem Bukhari as chairman and sent a summary to the cabinet,” the court maintained.

Furthermore, Justice Minallah also sent a copy of the Supreme Court verdict to the cabinet.

“Naeem Bukhari is respectable for us, but not above the law,” the court added.

Bokhari was appointed as PTV chairperson and independent director of the Pakistan Television Corporation Board on November 23, 2020.

A petition was filed challenging his appointment which says that the vacancy was not advertised and Bokhari is older than 65 years old.

The petitioner’s counsel also cited SC’s judgment on Ataul Haq Qasmi’s appointment as director and chairman of PTV for reference.