Major General (Retd) Hafeez Ur Rehman has been appointed by the Pakistani federal government to the position of Member (Administration) of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). There are hints that he might also receive a promotion to the Authority's chairmanship.
Upon the suggestion of the Selection Committee, which was chaired by Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif, the nomination was confirmed by the Federal Cabinet, which is presided over by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
Dr. Muhammad Amir Malik was the initial front-runner for the job, but he withdrew it out of disinterest.
Previously, the Islamabad High Court ordered the government to stop hiring for the advertised position and paused the appointment process.
The federal cabinet subsequently approved Hafeez Ur Rehman as Member (Administration) after the court recently lifted the injunction. The appointment-related legal petition may still go forward.
With the existing roles for Members Technical, Finance, and Compliance & Enforcement, the government hopes to expand the PTA to four members.
The chairmanship is customarily assumed by the Member Technical.
The government, however, has chosen to increase the number of members. The Cabinet Division has yet to begin reviewing the applicants, and the process for choosing a new Member (Technical) has been delayed.
The review and shortlisting process will start shortly, the officials have promised, but there is no timetable for when the Member (Technical) appointment would be finalised.
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