ISLAMABAD - A special division bench (DB) of Islamabad High Court (IHC) will take up today (Monday) an intra-court appeal (ICA) moved by Managing Director (MD) Pakistan Television (PTV) Muhammad Malick challenging the orders of an IHC single bench which had declared his appointment as illegal.
The special DB comprising Chief Justice IHC, Justice Muhammad Anwar Khan Kasi, and Justice Noor-ul-Haq N Qureshi will conduct the hearing of ICA filed by Malick against the orders of IHC single bench dated June 24.
The CJ IHC constituted this special DB after Justice Athar Minallah excused himself from hearing this ICA saying that the second contesting candidate against the post of MD PTV Jamal Shah had approached him for engaging him as counsel when the appointment of MD PTV was made by the federal government.
Earlier, the DB had permitted Muhammad Malick to continue his job till he receives written orders of an IHC single bench which had declared his appointment as illegal.
Akram Sheikh Advocate representing the petitioner had argued before the court that at the moment there is war on terror going on and the presence of national media is utmost necessary but the matter of fact is that national media has been silenced. He maintained that his client was properly appointed by a commission and till this time there is no written order of the IHC single bench. He added that IHC single bench had orally announced the orders on June 24 and till this time there is no written order.
However, the DB decided that this ICA will be heard by another division bench after Justice Athar dissociated himself from the division bench.
It had also ordered that Muhammad Malick could continue his office as MD PTV till he receives written orders.
Previously the appointment of Muhammad Malick as MD PTV was challenged by a senior director of PTV Mustafa Kamal Qazi who had been heading the state television as acting MD after the appointment of Yousaf Baig Mirza was struck down by an IHC bench.
Qazi had challenged the appointment of Muhammad Malick while alleging that the committee constituted for the appointment of the PTV chief had recommended the names of Jamal Shah and Muhammad Malick. He claimed that the committee had awarded 67 marks to Jamal Shah and 66 to Muhammad Malick. The committee then forwarded the two names to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who selected Muhammad Malick who is only a graduate and does not qualify for the post.
A single bench of IHC comprising Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui had declared the appointment of Muhammad Malick as illegal on June 24 while observing that it was not made in a transparent manner.